Chasing the Darkness
by Rainbowmnms
Summary: Things have quieted down after the GMG, at least as quiet as Fairy Tail can get, when a quirky girl meets Team Natsu for the first time. What secret does she hold and could she be linked to the monster Acnologia that desolated Tenroujima? A story of revenge, love, and Fairy Tail's usual insanity. Graylu Natsu/OC Jerza Gale Kinana/Erik Juvia/Leon Laxana etc. Lots of laughs.
1. Chapter 1: Adel

**A/N: Hey, everyone who just clicked on this story! Thanks for clicking away...I guess? I have a little message for those readers who will drop this story because it isn't 'romancy' enough for them. Yeah, I know guys, I get it. Romance is awesome. I agree. I'm down with that. It's cool. I know you probably clicked on this to read about all of the couples that you ship. I'd do it too. I just wanted to tell you that, yeah, the beginning is a little slow in the romance department. Hopefully, you'll keep reading, but if you don't that alright. Just know that later on I'll be crafting some romantic genius. Ok...so maybe I'm not a _genius _per say, but if you wait, you'll get to read some romance. Thanks, I guess?**

**Also: To those readers who clicked on this not purely for the romance...be happy! You don't need to wait! :)**

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**(Adel's POV)**

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. My lungs felt like they were on fire. My bare feet slapped against the damp cobblestones of the streets of Magnolia. Normally, full-on sprinting on uneven stone roads would hurt like hell, but my mind was a bit preoccupied. I quickly spun around to catch a glimpse of my pursuer, and spun back. _Shit, too fast, _I thought, as I was unable to catch a glimpse of much of anything, much less the weirdo who was following me. I spun around again, this time keeping my gaze behind me. The streetlights lit up the damp cobbles. I gulped in cold night air. I saw the man charging after me. _What the hell? Who is this guy? _

He was running behind me with almost robotic movements. The strangest thing was that his head didn't move with each step, staying in the same place like a leopard hunting its prey. _Creepy-ass stalker_, I thought. Just before I was about to spin back around and focus on how I would escape, my footsteps were involuntarily halted…by a pole. _Seriously, pole? We could've been friends! _

I tried to regain my footing, but the bastard pole had made me lose my balance. I reached out to grab something…anything…but my fingers fell just short. As I fell backwards, my vision blurry from where the pole had slammed into me—or rather from where I'd slammed the pole, but I'd like to have blamed my clumsiness and misfortune on the pole's malicious intentions—I felt weightless. A strange dread rose in my stomach because I knew my pursuer, with his long and intent strides, would catch up to me soon. My fear turned into rage as it always does when I'm in trouble. I summoned my strength and rolled to my side, grabbing the pole and using it to hoist myself up. _Thanks, buddy, I'll reconsider our friendship when I get away from this dude_. I was about to take a step when a strong and giant hand smashed into my upper back, slamming me down against the stone.

"Ouch," I said calmly, although I wasn't calm inside. I actually wanted to say, "Get off me you ******!" very loudly and then punch the man in a place no man wants to be punched, but I wasn't able to move. I stayed silent, waiting for him to either say something menacing like, "Any last words," or for the pain to be followed by blackness. I'd been in street fights before—I could stand pain—but death was completely different.

"Who are you?" growled the man. My vision was limited, as some of my long, violet hair had fallen over my eyes when the man had so rudely slammed me against the cobbles. I gave a strange, spiteful laugh that I had never heard myself make before.

"Depends on who's asking," I sniped. _Damn, that was cool. _

His handle tightened on my neck where he pinned me down. I winced and yelped out. I wished I could reach my knife, which I kept in my boot. _Note to self: don't keep knife in hard to reach places, you dumbass_, I thought to myself...not that it did any good if I was about to die. It's not like I was going to ask the guy, "Hey, Sir, would you kindly remove your hand so that I may relocate my knife to my thigh before you kill me?"

"Who. Are. You," he growled…literally growled. _What the hell is this guy?_

"Let go of me and I'll tell you. I won't run. Besides, I'm pretty sure that if I wanted to get my feet I'd just fall over anyways."

The man…laughed? I couldn't tell because of his deep and gravelly voice, "Made friends with the pole, did you?" Normally that would have pissed me off, but I let this one slide because I actually had. I had a weird quirk of talking to inanimate objects like they could understand me. It was just one of the many strange things about me that I didn't care enough to hide.

"Yes, actually. His name is Paul," I answered, "What's that, Paul? Hey, dude, Paul says he wants you to get the hell off of me."

To my surprise the man complied, but kept a tight hold on my arm. I raised my head and a throbbing pain made it presence known. I winced and grabbed my head.

"Close friends, I see…you and Paul the pole," he said, laughter in his voice. Whoever this guy was, he didn't seem like that bad of a guy if he would laugh at my horrid jokes that way. Only good people laugh at bad jokes.

I turned slowly so as not to upset my already furious headache even more. What I saw when I looked at him would have surprised any other person, but not me. I'd seen stranger things in my eighteen years in Earthland. My headache was getting worse.

"Dude, I don't know if you knew this, but…you're a cat," I said, my voice trailing off and my vision disappearing piece by piece behind black spots. The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was, "Kind of hard not to notice."

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

I felt warm, like I was floating on sunshine and clouds. _Sunshine and clouds…shit, am I dead? _I forced my eyes open. _Thank God, no clouds_, I thought. I glanced around the room, not moving my body. I was covered in a soft blanket, my head propped up on a fluffy pillow, which most likely accounted for the cloud-like feeling. Baby blue curtains swayed slowly in the wind that was gusting in through a window that was slightly ajar. I was weirdly aware of the tiny clouds embroidered on it…_stupid clouds. _

Without moving my head, I glanced over to the end of the room. A small bookshelf, which had very little on it, stood pushed up against the wall. There was a deep blue vase, which had light blue flowers in it. A few books lined the shelves—none of which I could read the titles of from my distance—sat neglected on the dusty shelves. The only object that looked recently disturbed, dustless and on its side, was an ancient looking tome. **(Author's Note: Tome - a large or scholarly book) **Its papers were old and looked like they were corroded by seawater or some such liquid.

"I told you, we shouldn't trust 'er. We found 'er lookin' into the guildhall. If she was anyone who weren't suspicious, why was she peerin' in…like a suspicious person?" said a gruff voice, disrupting my game of trying to come up with names for the tome. _How To Get A Girlfriend: The Tome of Success_, was one of them. _What am I doing with my life_, I thought.

"But she was hurt! We can't just kick her out!" said a small girl's voice. I found it a bit strange that a little girl was talking up to a grown man who, judging by his voice, was most likely a giant, scary looking dude. "She's staying in my room, and that's final!" said the girl's voice, a bit muffled by the door. I stared at the blue ceiling, paint peeling in one corner, thankful that at least a little girl was on my side.

"Old man, you can't be serious. I sent Panther Lily after her for a reason. It wasn't because I wanted to settle down and make friends or have a little tea party. It was because she was a 'spicious person!" said the gruff man voice.

"It seems Wendy is determined to care for the girl, so what do you expect me to do?" said a new voice. It sounded like an old man, living up what he had been called by gruff voice.

"Say no!" replied gruff voice.

"To Wendy? How about you try!" said old man. Gruff voice was silent. I cracked a smile just as the door to the room opened. In came a little girl with dark blue hair and a sweet face. The girl smiled and then stared at me.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice twinkling like a little bell. Apparently she had managed to shake off the wonder that most people feel when they first see me. I had a peculiar feature that most people would stare at; I hated how people stared.

"Uh—" I started.

"Don't answer that. You hit your head pretty hard and I don't want you to overwork yourself." I was silent.

"I used some magic on you. Sky Dragonslayer magic, that is. It should help," she said, and come to sit on the end of the bed. _Great, wizards_, I thought, _could my day get any better? _From my experience, every time I got involved with wizards, something bad had happened…like being sent flying or spontaneously erupting in flame…or both at the same time. True story.

"This is my room. I brought you here when Panther Lily came back with you," she said. So much for _How to Get A Girlfriend: The Tome of Success_. I sat up and a sharp pain sprung up in my forehead.

"Ouch," I said, vaguely remembering saying that last night, "Just curious, but did a giant cat man attack me last night?"

"I wish I could say no. Anyway, my name's Wendy. What's yours?" Wendy asked, the light still in her eyes. _So innocent…she's just a little girl_, I thought.

"I'm Adel," I said, rubbing my head. The pain in my head started to fade away. I lowered my hand.

"Looks like you're feeling better. That's good," Wendy said.

"Where am I exactly? What happened?" I asked calmly. Honestly, I was used to waking up in strange places. I had fought in street fights before and often those ended with a gap in my memory. I lost my memory a lot, actually. I didn't remember anything from before I was ten years old. I'd lived on the streets my entire known life.

I stared at the girl. Wendy's face lit up, "You're in Fairy Tail!" My eyes went wide. I'd heard of Fairy Tail before…actually who hadn't? It was possibly that most famous guild and it was centered right in Magnolia, my hometown. Well, I didn't have a home per say, but it was where I spent most of time. Fairy Tail. I'd come across this guild before. They were extraordinarily badass, I won't deny it, but they were bad news: they always got caught up in major stuff that got them entangled with the magic council.

"_Fairy Tail,_" I said, "Seriously?" Wendy nodded. I sighed. I ripped off the blankets, surprised by the sudden rush of cold air. I shivered.

"Wait, where are you going?" Wendy whined, put off that I was getting up. I was still wearing what I had on yesterday: dark jeans and a sweatshirt. I yanked up the hood to hide my face and slipped on my boots. With several clunking footsteps I was at the door. I opened it and swiftly walked out. The hallway had several paintings on the walls; one in particular caught my eye as I walked past. A portrait of a young girl hung there, her golden hair reaching her ankles, falling down in elegant, flowing curls. The inscription read: Mavis Vermillion, First Guild Master_. Seriously, guild master…this girl? Some guild. _

My boots thumping on the red carpet as I strode down the hallway, I started to think about what to have for dinner. Should I steal from the bakery or visit the inn lady, Beatrice, who would always give me some scraps from the leftover meals she served. She was a kindhearted and pudgy lady and I appreciated the scraps, even though they weren't five stars…obviously.

I was vaguely aware of Wendy chasing after me down the hallway saying something like, "Where are you going. Hey, Adel!" I ignored it. I was going to find food. That was my first priority; well, it was my first priority after getting away from Fairy Tail. I reached the end of the hallway where a door awaited me wrenching it open. I did so and was greeted with something I never expected, which was strange because I always expected the unexpected.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

I quickly dodged the flying naked man who had been punched with such force that he had been sent across the room. I looked behind me, but then quickly averted my eyes. "Grey!" shouted Wendy. "Clothes, Grey!" shouted a woman who was calmly sitting on the table, curled protectively around an entire barrel of what I could only guess was alcohol.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why is there a naked man here?" I asked, "On second thought, I don't need to know."

The man lifted his head and his eyes went wide, "Dammit! Natsu, did you take my pants?"

"No, you took them off yourself, you pervy ice-bast—" called back a boy with pink hair before a chair, which was flung at his face, knocked him down. He stared at me from where he fell and I looked away. A woman with scarlet hair stood up, "Natsu, my cake! What have you done?!" She leapt into the fray. _Damn, lady must have loved her cake. _I shook my head and took a deep breath. I had to get to the other side of the room where the exit was. The question was how to do so without dying. _Well, might as well_.

I ran forward, dodging a chair and whirling around a giant man with white hair who was lifting up a table to launch at someone. _Shit_. I slid on my knees a few feet as someone else went flying over me. This one was pretty impressive because the dude was huge. _Phew, glad I dodged that one_. "Hey, don't throw Droy!" called a man from a few yards away. I didn't stop to look at the source of the voice. I stumbled to my feet and some crushed cake barely missed my face. I heard it splat onto someone's face behind me and cracked a smile. This is pretty entertaining.

I took a few steps before a new splitting pain erupted in my forehead. I cried out but no one noticed; there were too many yelled in the room for one person to be heard. I fell to my knees and shut my eyes. It didn't help. I felt a breeze send a loose strand of my hair flying. Must've been another airborne person or piece of furniture. _Stupid wizards. _I pushed the pain away, biting my lip and shakily getting to my feet. I couldn't stay in here much longer without dying young.

I managed to meander and weave my way through the raucous, dodging MFO's, (miscellaneous flying objects). I reached the door and weakly pried it open, my migraine growing even worse when immersed in the boisterous noises of the fight in the guildhall. I turned to look behind me and spotted Wendy shouting and waving to me. The pink kid's fists were flaming, and the man who was called Grey had found his pants. _Shit just got real_.

I stumbled outside into the crisp autumn air. I took a big gulp of fresh air. I slumped against the wall and clutched my throbbing head. _There's no way I don't have brain damage. _It was strange because I didn't think I had hit my head that badly. Apparently I was wrong. Strange lights flickered in my vision. The pain had grown so intense that I didn't even have the energy to question them. I closed my eyes.

Before I knew it, images started dancing behind my eyelids. They flit by quickly, barely giving me enough time to register them. Fire flashed behind my eyes. A dragon so pale it almost looked translucent and my hand reaching for the dragon flashed by and vanished. A new monster appeared, its scaled black as coal and intricate blue lines littering its body. It leaned close and I heard a voice. It was deep and sounded like an echo, bouncing off its own sound and reaching my ears, "You are the key, so I must destroy you." The monster seemed to smile, "Just as I destroyed your father."

My eyes flicked open. I was lying on the cold stone outside, pressed against the Fairy Tail guildhall's wall. I sat up, my headache gone. _What the hell was that? _My eyes flicked around, questioning my surroundings for a few moments before I remembered everything. I sighed and tried to decipher the images. Fire: dragons breathe fire, right? Me reaching for a dragon: the dragon seemed friendly and strangely familiar. That last dragon: judging by the fact that it had threatened my life it was definitely not friendly. And what was this about me being a key and my mother. I suppose I had a mother, but I had never met her.

"Adel, are you ok?" asked a tinkling voice that was all too familiar. I sighed and turned. "Why are you on the ground?" Wendy asked.

"No reason. I just felt like taking a long nap after being almost brutally murdered several times while trying to cross your guildhall," I said, my temper short after everything that had just occurred.

"No need to yell," said the pink-haired kid who had come out behind Wendy.

"Firstly, pinky, I don't remember yelling," which I didn't, "And secondly, why are you here? Aren't you too busy ripping people's pants off?" I smiled triumphantly as the kid turned beat red. My smiled faded when a weird feeling arose in my chest. I pushed it aside as I watched him struggle. He looked to be about my age and was wearing a jacket that exposed his ripped stomach. I stared for a second and then looked back up at his red face.

"I—I don't…fight's over. Master wants to see you," he said, disappearing back inside. I could faintly hear Grey, who I had officially dubbed "naked guy" yelling to pinky, "What's wrong, Natsu? Your face is red!" I heard a chorus of laughs and then pinky yelling back, "Put on a shirt, perve!" More laughing.

I got to my feet and brushed off my pants. My hood was still covering my face. I sighed; _this Guild Master might know something about those pictures_. I doubted they were just hallucinations caused by head trauma...or the trauma of having a naked man fly past your face: they felt too real. I nodded to Wendy and she led me inside. The fight was indeed over, but thorough evidence of the uproar was strewn about the room. I had to step over some crushed cake and an unconscious person to get to the other side of the room where the bar was. To the left was a tack board that said REQUESTS in big letters across the top. I only glanced briefly, but I saw a poster that said 'Capture this band and you'll have 1,000 joule in your hand.' A rendering of said thieves band adorned the center of the poster. I frowned at the horrible attempt at rhyming and turned away. Sitting cross-legged on the bar was probably the tiniest man I had ever seen. He held a staff, which somehow managed to make him look regal.

People had gathered around and I guessed this was as good a time as any. I removed my hood. Some people's jaws dropped, others just stared. The guild master looked at me unchangingly. What everyone had noticed was that I had two differently colored eyes. One of them was almost pitch black and the other was practically white. It was my peculiarity, my complex. A girl with blond hair stared at me. We made eye contact and I looked down, trying to hide my eyes.

"I am Master Makarov, 3rd and 6th master of Fairy Tail, one of the 10 Wizard Saints. Who are you?" the man asked. I decided not to puzzle over how he had become both the 3rd and 6th master. I had to admit, though, his track record sounded impressive.

I said, "So, what, did you stop growing when you were four?" I instantly regretted it and then regretted it even more when the woman with scarlet hair stepped forward and backhanded me to the ground. I laughed, which I often did in hostile situations. A few who had been gathering around shouted at me. Wendy rushed to my side to help. _Nice kid_.

"Thanks. I appreciated that," I said to scarlet-head, gingerly touching my wounded cheek. I looked up and saw the girl with blond hair. She looked at me with pity, which I hated. I could stand hatred and disgust, but not pity.

"Erza!" the master scolded. Erza stepped back but didn't look any less hostile.

"You're right. I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I get angry when I'm hungry," I said, trying to make good with Erza. It didn't work. "Which is most of the time."

"It's alright. You are forgiven. We'll have a feast after our little chat," said the old man. I started to salivate. I hadn't eaten for days.

"My name is Adel," I said.

"Are you a wizard? Where did you come from? Why were you looking into our guildhall yesterday?" said Makarov.

Adel blinked, getting to her feet. "I'm not a wizard…not last I checked," she said. Naked guy laughed and Pinky quickly punched him to shut him up. "I came from outside. I looked in because I saw chicken and I was hungry." The old man's eyes shone and the corner of his mouth twitched. Apparently he didn't hate my sarcasm.

"I suppose you don't need to tell us if you don't want to. You don't seem suspicious." He thought I was lying, but that was actually the truth.

"Who said that in the first place?"

"Gajeel did. Over there," said the old man, pointing to a nasty looking guy with silver piercings littering his face and a steely glare. I curled my lip.

"I don't think I want to be on his bad side," I whispered to Makarov. He smiled warmly and slapped my back with more force than I thought possible from and 90-year-old-looking guy. I stumbled forward and grinned. He seemed likable: anyone who smiled like that was probably ok in my book…which was not a tome.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" he bellowed, another seemingly impossible feat for such an old man.

"Wait, what?" I said, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"You wanted to join didn't you?"

"I don't remember saying that."

"I remember saying you liked chicken. We have chicken." That shut me up. "If you want chicken you have to join."

"Why do you want me?"

"I suppose there's something different about you."

"I'm not even a wizard, though!"

"Ah, yes. What you don't know is that everyone has a potential for magic. Magic comes from the heart. If you have heart, you have magic." He tapped my nose, which was weird.

I frowned skeptically, "Fine, but I need to talk to you after I get this chicken that I'm hearing about." I glanced around a caught the gaze of Gajeel…_seriously scary dude_. He was staring right at me as though he wanted to commit homicide right smack damn in front of everyone. When I glimpsed Erza I thought: _seriously scary lady. _If I had to create a ratio of Gajeel's versus Erza's scariness factors, it would be about 1:10 in Erza's favor.

**Author's Note:  
Hey, everyone. I guess thanks for reading...:D. I'm happy people actually want to read this. It's cool. Anyways, I wanted to say that I'm on winter break right down so I'll probably update everyday...maybe twice a day...mostly because I have no life. Reviews or follows would be cool, just to see how I'm doing and such. I don't want to write something just horrible and not know about it, geehee. I welcome suggestions and might include them in my stories. Thanks a lot, guys! You're awesome!**


	2. Chapter 2: Lucy

**(Lucy's POV)**

There was something a little weird about that girl…but then wasn't there something weird about all of us? I leaned up against the bar, fingering my keys. It was a nervous habit that I had developed after the whole clock incident. The spirits were like my family and I guess I used them to comfort me. A pain twanged in my heart, the one I had pushed down when my father had passed.

"Master, do you really think it was a good idea to let her in just like that?" I asked over my shoulder. I looked to where Makarov sat on the bar, silently watching Adel.

"I let you in just like that didn't I?" he said, glancing toward me. I frowned.

"Yeah, but Natsu brought me here. Adel just showed up."

"Wendy recommended that she join."

"She's also not a wizard."  
"Yes, she is, child." I stared at him, wondering what he meant. If I remembered correctly, she had said herself that she wasn't. Well, there was something mysterious about her. I decided to give up on trying to figure it out. There were things Makarov knew that no one else did or ever would.

I nodded. Maybe he was right. Maybe she could be trusted…I, for one, trusted the people that Wendy did. Except, maybe not that dreaded Jiggle Butt Gang. I shivered and walked away from the bar, drink in hand. I watched Adel from across the room, striding over to Natsu. He was leaning against the wall. His pink hair fell over his forehead. He stared straight ahead. I admired that about him: his determination and strength, his will to always move forward even in the hardest times. It had saved me many times. As I walked up to him he noticed me and smiled his goofy smile.

"Hey, Loopy," he said, his smile not vanishing. Another thing I admired about him.

"My name not Loopy!" I yelled in mock anger, lightly punching him. I smiled and perched beside him on a railing. Our spot overlooked the entire guildhall. Natsu sighed, his strong chest expanding and collapsing.

"What's up?" I asked, legitimate concern in my voice. Natsu was almost always happy, so when he sighed like that it worried me.

"He loooooves her!" said a voice from behind Natsu, stretching the 'o' to the maximum. I frowned.

"Happy, seriously?" I asked incredulously, "Again?"

"You should be used to it by now!" said the little blue exceed. I frowned again…or had my frown not disappeared? I couldn't remember and I didn't care. I gave him a death stare.

"Scaaaaary!" he said, floating away. This time the 'a' didn't last as long.

My frown vanished, "Seriously though, what's up?"

Natsu turned to me and stared at me. I felt my cheeks flush and had an urge to slap them. _Stupid cheeks_, I thought. I stared at him too. He was handsome. At first I only saw him as a pink-haired, fire-eating weirdo. I guess being through so much with him had changed that. I can't count the number of times he had saved my life. His hazel eyes bore into me.

"What do you think of the new girl?" he asked, looking back at her. He stared at her and I felt a pang of something unidentifiable.

"Adel? I think she's kind of strange, but she's seems ok. I mean, Wendy chose here so—"

"Wendy chose her?"

"Yeah. That's what the Master told me." He seemed awfully interested in her. "I'm going to go and talk to her," I said to him. He nodded. I left him leaning against the wall. I stopped to let Mira pass me. She stared at me as if she thought she knew something. I shot her a questioning look and let her slip from my mind.

Adel was eating the chicken she had talked about earlier as if she hadn't eaten in days, "Jeez, slow down. You're going to choke." She stared at me. I sat down opposite her in a booth. The red leather made sounds of protest as I adjusted myself.

"It's just that you're eating like you haven't in days," I said quietly.

"That's probably because I haven't," she said. I stared at her. _Damn, things are not going well right now_. I looked to where Natsu was standing, crying for help with my eyes. He smiled. _Dumbass! Can't you tell when a girl needs a little help!_

I cleared my throat, "Sorry."

She smiled, "Don't look at me like that. I hate pity." I didn't think I was looking at her with pity, but maybe I was unintentionally. She really was pretty though. She had long violet hair that fell down her chest in long soft waves. Her face looked a little dirty, but her skin was pale and fair. She had a slim and delicate figure, but was not lacking in the chest area. She had long, dark eyelashes that overshadowed what I thought was her best feature. Her eyes. One was dark with specks of silver in it. The other was silver with dark specks. It was beautiful like a yin-yang. I envied her.

"What?" she asked, looking down. I realized I'd been staring at her a little too long.

"Sorry. It's just I was thinking that you have really pretty eyes."

She let out a quick gust of air, "Sure. You try living with eyes like this and then tell me you think they're pretty."

"You're right. I have brown eyes, so I guess I wouldn't know." She snorted. "But, I don't think you should hide them. I truly think they're beautiful. They're part of who you are and you shouldn't be ashamed. I learned that the hard way…with Fairy Tail. Everyone here is part of who I am. They're like family, and hopefully they can be like family to you too." I smiled. She had looked up. A hint of a smile showed at the corner of her lips before she smothered it.

"I've never had a family before," she muttered. Sadness shone in her eyes, but I made sure not to look at her with pity. There was no reason to: she had a family now.

"This may sound cheesy, but you have a sister now," I said.

She laughed. It was a pure and joyous sound. Her real smile was breathtaking. Even I thought it was gorgeous and I'm a girl. "You're right. That does sound cheesy…but thanks either way." Grey caught my eye and walked over.

"Hey, Luce. I see you're making friends already," he said, his necklace jangling as he walked.

Adel smiled, "Oh, it's naked man." Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. Her cheeks went red and so did Grey's.

"Ok, I swear. That was not intentional," he said, raising his hands. She laughed again. She seemed like a strangely cheerful girl for someone who had been living alone for so long.

"Sure it wasn't," she said, mock sounding suspicious. Grey sat down next to me.

"So, welcome to Fairy Tail…I guess," he said, clasping his hands together, "If you have any questions, just ask us."

"Ok. What am I supposed to do in a guild if I don't have magic?" Adel asked.

I spoke up, "I'd talked to the Master about that. He probably has some answer. Maybe he wants to teach you magic."

Adel frowned, "I'm not sure I want to learn magic, though." Her eyes looked like that were staring straight into some memory.

Grey cleared his throat, "Erza!" Erza looked over to us and smiled. She took big steps to get to us.

"What is it?" she said. The light left her eyes as soon as she saw Adel. Adel looked down again, which I found sad.

"Come on, Erza. She said she was sorry! I'm sure she didn't mean it. Let her off the hook," said Grey. Erza's eyes narrowed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. She turned to leave and then stopped. Over her shoulder she said to Adel, "Someone who does not know her place and treats magic so _foolishly_ is not worthy to be in Fairy Tail." Spite filled her voice. I had never seen Erza like this, and it was scaring me. Adel had snapped. She stood up abruptly and stood close to Erza. It was like flames had erupted within them. Adel stood almost an entire inch taller than Erza. I can honestly say it was the first time that I had seen someone look scarier than Erza, and she wasn't even a wizard.

"You just crossed the line," snarled Adel. Erza defiantly looked at her.

"It that so. I don't see what I said that was wrong," said Erza, "Maybe that's why you've been alone for so long." That did it. Adel leaned down and snatched something from her boot so quickly I couldn't even follow her movements. She had clearly done this before, but I don't know what she was doing picking a fight with Erza...or had Erza picked it? And how did Erza how that Adel didn't have a family?

Other guild members had gathered, but most were too afraid to come between the two. Natsu, Grey, and I were the closest to the brawl. I'm not sure when Natsu got here, but he was intently watching the fight, waiting for a chance to rip them apart without getting hurt himself. Erza's sword appeared and I realized that the thing Adel had snatched from her boot was a knife. That had been quick. It was medium-sized and seemed like it was actually like a claw or a tooth bound to a hilt. Whatever it had belonged to was definitely huge.

Erza started lashing out at Adel with her sword. Adel managed to block and parry each strike, dodging and slashing out fluidly. I watched frantically. Why was Erza doing this? She was usually the one to break up petty fights. Had she started this one?

"Lucy, we have to stop this. Look at them closely. Erza is the only one trying to seriously wound Adel. Something's up. This isn't Erza," said Grey, his eyes glued to the two combatants. I gasped. He was right. Adel was mostly dodging and striking to keep Erza's distance.

"Come here, girl!" screamed Erza. Her voice sounded strange and gravelly.

"Where is Makarov?!" someone screamed. Mira ran to find him.

Adel's eyes went wide. I saw it coming. Erza's blade sliced into her shoulder. She screamed out in pain and fell to her knees. Natsu ran forward. "Adel!" he shouted. He was easily knocked away by Erza. Something was definitely strange. Was this even Erza? More people charged forward, but they were knocked back by something invisible. As I looked closer I realized it was a strange black shield that surrounded them. An invisible wall separated the two of them from the rest of the guildhall. Adel clung to her shoulder, blood escaping between her thin fingers. She looked pale and fear shone in her eyes. I charged forward and stopped next to the shield.

"Adel!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Her head snapped towards me. She was breathing hard and sweat had broken out on her face.

"Lucy!" she yelled back, her voice breaking, "I don't mean to insult your choice of companions, but I'm pretty sure your friend's crazy!"

"This isn't time for jokes! Don't worry, I'll help you!" I fumbled for my keys and found Virgo.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!" I shouted. Golden light appeared around me and Virgo shot out of the ground.

"Princess?" she asked calmly.

"Please, Virgo. Help my friend!" I shouted. Tears ran down my cheeks and I pressed my palms against the shield. I vaguely noticed a burning sensation, but I pushed it aside. I needed to help Adel.

"Very well, Princess," she said, bowing quickly before her pink hair disappeared in the floor. She drilled underground into the interior of the shield. She popped out of the ground right as Erza was about to bring her sword down. Virgo stopped the blade with her chains and twisted it expertly out of Erza's hands. Virgo kicked Erza away, or at least tried to. Erza caught hold of Virgo's legs and twisted it…hard. I heard a horrid cracking sound and Virgo cried out.

"Go back, Virgo!" I screamed, my tears coming out even faster now. I wanted to help Adel, but I couldn't stand the sight of my spirits being injured. I felt Grey touch my back. I didn't have time to find comfort in that. I couldn't do anything and I knew it. Erza stood, a wicked smile on her face. The whites of her eyes had faded to black just like a devil's. This wasn't Erza. Pure darkness seemed to gather at the thing's fingertips. Was that magic? It raised its arm, about to strike Adel down. I screamed and so did Adel. I wanted to cover my eyes, but I couldn't. Adel raised her bloodied hand in defense. My eyes went wide when a strange pulse erupted from her palm. It was as if energy was pulsing from her blood-covered palms. I watched as Erza's eyes returned to normal. For a brief moment, I saw a confused look appear in her eyes before they rolled back in her head. I watched in shock at the thing's dark energy vanished and it collapsed.

The shield disappeared just as Makarov appeared in the guildhall, his eyes wild. I rushed to Adel along with several other people. She was on her knees, her knife by her knee. She was clutching her bleeding shoulder and her head drooped. She looked up at me, her eyes full of fear, shock, and tears. She was shaking and sobbing.

"Well, shit. I almost died, huh? What…just—" she managed to mutter through sobs before she keeled over. Natsu caught her. He held her face and delicately lifted her hand from her shoulder, revealing a deep slash in her shoulder reached from her collarbone to her upper arm. It was still bleeding. His eyes were full of pain and…fear? I had never seen Natsu afraid of anything before.

"Call Porlyusica!" commanded Makarov, "Wendy, now!" Wendy rushed to Adel's side and hovered her hands over Adel. Adel's face seemed to look a bit relaxed. Natsu was still holding her. As soon as I saw that Adel was getting help I became suddenly aware of myself. My hands stung and my eyes and voice felt raw. I lifted my hands and winced. They were, indeed, burnt. Was it from that strange shield? Grey suddenly appeared behind me.

"Here," he said, gently pressing his hands against mine. Cold relief flooded into my palms. I sighed in relief. He smiled, "Better?" I nodded with my eyes closed. I felt my body relax. He started to remove his hands, but I whimpered. My voice felt so horrible that I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to talk. He smiled again, a gentle feeling showing on his face and in his dark eyes. He leaned down and my eyes went wide. He kissed my palms one by one. I felt his hair brush my wrists. It was soft and strangely comforting. With each kiss my hands began to feel better. I found myself smiling. He placed his hands back on mine and I felt more cool relief. I sighed and leaned into him. He smelled sort of like winter, if it had a smell. I was suddenly really tired. I felt my eyes fall shut and my head slump against his strong chest. I gave in to my exhaustion right there on his shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3: Natsu

**(Natsu's POV)**

Her blood was warm. I felt panic rising from the pits of my stomach to the top of my throat. I stared at my hands. They were covered in scarlet blood. It was slick and sticky.

"Don't worry, Natsu. Her magic energy is strong. She won't die," Wendy whispered into my ear as gentle blue light shone down on Adel. I'm not sure why, but I needed Adel to live. I needed to keep her safe. I hated myself for not being able to protect her when she was about to die. I had let her get hurt and I would never forgive myself. She was new, but she was still part of the Fairy Tail family.

"Let go of her. We need to take her to get care from Porlyusica," said a voice. Honestly, everything was blurry except for Adel, so I'm not even sure who was talking to me. I found myself nodding as if I were on autopilot. I felt her being lifted out of my arms and I sat there stunned. What had just happened? Had Adel used magic? Had Erza really tried to kill Adel? I looked over to where Erza still lay. She groaned and sat up. She grasped her head and opened her eyes. Mira was on her at once in her takeover form. Mira slammed her down against the floor hard enough to leave a dent.

"What have you done, Erza?!" she screamed. Erza looked like she was trying to keep her eyes focused.

"What?" gasped Erza, "What happened? Why am I on the floor?"

"Wait," said gramps, "I'm fairly sure that was not Erza earlier." Mira eased off but didn't drop her takeover.

"What the hell happened?" said Erza, picking herself up as if her whole body hurt.

"What is the last thing you remember, Erza?" questioned the old man. Erza blinked a few times and then closed her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose as if she was warding off an impending headache. I shakily walked over to her. I glanced around. Team Shadowgear looked pretty beat up. They must've tried to break the shield. Freid was being cared for by Ever. He was cradling his arm. Elfman was holding Lisanna. I wanted to go over there, but I doubted I could get my legs to bring me that far. Lucy was sleeping against Gray's chest. If I were a girl I would say it was cute, but honestly it just freaked me out.

"I remember walking from the dorms this morning, but that's it," she said, her voice shaking.

The old man let out a loud, "Hmmm" and turned to leave.

"Gramps, what is it?" I called after him, my voice wavering.

"Levi, come quickly!" was the guild master's only reply. Jet helped Levi to her feet and half-carried her towards the guild's library. Considering Droy's current physical hindrance, it was a wonder he was sitting up with such little strength. By hindrance I meant fat, but felt guilty thinking it.

As I started to calm down I realized that I hurt all over. I most likely cracked a rib when Erza flung me and I had repeatedly tried to break through the shield, weirdly burning myself all over. At least, I guessed this is what it felt like to be burned. It had never happened to me before. Damn, it hurt like hell. _I'm glad I can't get burnt like this often_, I thought as I slumped down against the guildhall's wooden floor.

"Geehee," laughed a voice from above me. I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter before I opened them. Only one person laughed like that, and I was really not in the mood to deal with Gajeel.

"What do you want?" I groaned, sliding my palms across my face and instantly regretting it. Apparently they were burnt along with my shoulders and parts of my chest and back. I must have made a really nasty face because even Gajeel's lip curved.

"Nothing much. Was just wondering how it felt getting your ass kicked," he sneered.

"Sorry but last time I remember fighting you, it was you, not me, who got their ass kicked."

"This is payback for sending me into that mineshaft…" Gajeel said, a smile crossing his face. It didn't really look like a smile with all those piercings, though…more like a sadistic if not devilish smirk. "I'll be seein' ya," the sadistic smirk grew and his eyes filled with cruel delight, "Pinky!" He quickly got out of my lethal swinging range. _Fuck, her heard her_, I though.

"I'll kill you if you say that again! You know I can!" I shouted as he ran away like a coward, "Come back here you iron-eating sonofabitch!" It was too late, he was already out the door. I collapsed on the floor again having spent all my energy on the dumbass who just ran away like a wimp.

"Natsu," squeaked a voice. It was Happy. He put he paw on my chest and I hugged him to me. He was crying and shaking.

"Happy, buddy. It's ok. I'm alright," I said to him. My best friend was shaking in my arms and that was all I could say. Some friend I was.

"You—you looked scared. It was like when you fought Gildarts," whimpered Happy.

"Yeah. I'm ok now, though. Don't worry, buddy, we're ok," I said, holding him on my lap, "Why don't we go see how our partner is doing, huh?" Happy nodded and I summoned the strength to go over to where Lucy was sleeping on Grey. _Strangely gross_, I though.

"Hey, man. She ok?" I asked, flopping down next to them. At least my strength was able to carry me this far. Erza walked over to us like a zombie and our team was assembled.

"Yeah. She's fine. She got a little burnt, but I helped her out," he said. That sounded creepy, but I had to hand it to the man…he was smooth. He was looking down at Lucy protectively as if she were going to be attacked any second. I guess I could understand that part, though. I looked at Lucy who was fast asleep. Her eyes were a bit puffy and red from crying and her hair was matted to the side of her face from sweat. Despite all this, she looked strangely peaceful. I guess if Grey was able get Lucy to sleep so securely, it was all right. She let out a small peeping sound, which was pretty cute. I smiled, but not before Grey did.

She was a great partner. She had tried to save Adel with everything she had, using enough energy to tire her out this much. All of this even though she had just met Adel. She was really the personification of Fairy Tail…and she was my partner. I don't know what my life would be like if I hadn't met her in Port Hargeon so long ago. I guess she'd really become a big part of my life.

"Did I…did I really attack a Fairy Tail member?" asked Erza, her voice cracking. Her face was covered by her hands and she was hunched over. It looked like she was trying to hide herself from everyone's eyes. I placed a hand on her shoulder. Her shoulders seemed small and were trembling. This was not like Erza.

"I guess you heard? Do you really not remember?" asked Grey, his voice soft so as not to wake Lucy.

"Nothing...I remember nothing. Do you know how strangely terrifying that is?" she whimpered.

"Don't worry, Erza. Everyone here knows that you aren't the kind of person that would attack her friends, even if that person pissed you off. You'd just hit them really hard over the head." Natsu winced, remembering literally painful memories, "Reaaallyyy hard."

She half-laughed. Thank god, she was ok. I took her hand and squeezed it to comfort her. She smiled. Normally she would rip her hand away from mine, but instead she left it there. I wouldn't have reached out to her if I thought she didn't need a friend.

"Don't feel guilty, Erza. I'm not sure what happened, but we trust you," mumbled Lucy. Grey looked down. Lucy was still curled up in his chest; her eyes were open so that slivers of brown peeked from behind her long eyelashes.

"So, you're awake Lucy," said Grey. Suddenly Lucy's eyes went wide. She practically flew out of Grey's arms and wrapped her own arms around herself.

"I saw what you did there, _perve_!" she said to him. She sounded angry but she was smiling. Her cheeks had flushed red and so had Grey's.

"He loooooves her!" said Happy, floating around Grey's head. I laughed. It was hilarious when it wasn't directed at you. Grey's face got even redder, if that was possible.

"Happy, up top!" I said to him. He flew over and we had an epic high five. _Yeah, this is my best friend_, I thought.

"Where did the Master go?" asked Erza, seemingly back to her normal self, at least mostly.

"Library?" I guessed, "At least, that's the direction they went. He went with Levy."

"Alright, we better leave them to find out what they can. And…that girl?"

"Her name is Adel, but I guess you wouldn't know that since you don't remember anything that happened in the last day. She seemed better when Wendy and Porlyusica took her away. I hope she'll be fine." It was a deep wound and she'd lost a lot of blood by the time we'd gotten to her. I looked down at my hand and saw they were still stained red. I ran my finger along my palms and small flakes of Adel's dried blood crumbled off and drifted to the floor. I felt sick. I had to get rid of it soon; it was driving me crazy.

What was driving me even crazier was the strange feeling I had in my chest. It wasn't fear or pain. It was warmer than that, and strangely comforting. It was…fuzzy? I couldn't describe it even if I wanted to, which at the moment I didn't. I wanted to go and see Adel and make sure she was ok. I felt weirdly horrible whenever I thought about her but also weirdly happy. Her long violet hair and her beautiful eyes which always seemed to be peering past the surface of everything kept drifting into my mind.

"Are you thinking about her," whispered Happy. My eyes went wide and I batted at him. I wasn't angry because he said that, I was angry because he was right. _Shit_.

**Author's Note:  
****Sorry! Short chapter! Next one will be longer...promise promise! I would say that my dog ate the rest of it, but that would be dumb...so I guess a simple sorry will have to suffice. **


	4. Chapter 4: Grey

**(GREY'S POV)**

My face was on fire even after Natsu went off somewhere. So uncool…no pun intended. I guess I didn't like being so hot, of course I'm not talking about my external appearance…there's no helping my undeniable, magnetic attractiveness. I had even managed to keep my head cool when I had her small hands in mine, but not anymore. As soon as her face bloomed red, mine lit up too. There was no helping it; she looked so adorable and innocent. "I saw what you did there, you perve!" she'd said. I smiled at the ground.

I was going around helping people who had been burned by the strange shield. That thing had seemed like magical energy, but it had burned. It was strange. This whole thing was pretty strange. Why had someone tried to kill Adel? I could only assume that Erza was possessed or something or the sort. I knew Erza too well to believe that she would do something like that. When she'd come to us, her body quivering, I was reminded of the little girl I knew as a kid who would cry by herself. Her strength had been masked by

"PAIN! Grey! Keep your head on straight!" scolded Cana. She smacked me over the head. I was pretty sure she was still a little tipsy, but she was right that my mind was in a different place…actually several different places. I was exhausted and running low on magical energy from trying to cool down and treat so many people's burns. I felt a hand on my arm and turned. I cursed under my breath.

"Grey-sama, if you are tired Juvia can take over for you," she said as if it were the only thing she wanted in the world. Her blue eyes stared at me expectantly. I sighed, "Fine, as long as you do well. Don't overdo it, Juvia. That's your special talent."

She lit up, "Grey-sama called me talented! Did you hear that Lucy?" Lucy looked up briefly and rolled her eyes. She was sitting a few yards away bandaging Elfman's wounds. "That's manly, Lucy," said Elfman, sounding exhausted. Lucy glared at him and then protested with violence. _Some way to prove you aren't manly, Luce_...not that I didn't think it was cute. Ever was hovering nearby, glaring at Lucy. Poor Lucy, suffering from jealous rage from so many different directions.

"Why do you harass Lucy so much?"

"Because she is my rival!" she said, clenching her fist before starting to tend to Cana's arm. The only thing she was wrong about was that there wasn't much of a competition. Lucy already had a firm grip on my heart. I'm not sure when I fell in love with her, but somewhere along the way it had happened. I had started to want to keep her safe, to make her smile and keep her happy. Just thinking about her could make me smile. I sighed.

"Grey-sama!" Juvia called as I walked away, "Maybe after everything is finished, we can—"

"No thanks, Juvia. Maybe next time!" I called back to her. I didn't want to see her disappointed eyes as she tried to hide them behind her blue hair. Juvia was definitely special, but I don't think I could fall in love with her. I had tried to tell her that, but had stopped myself as soon as the suspicious and concerned looked appeared in her eyes. I guess I was weak in more ways than one.

I looked around the guildhall. Most of the damage from the attack had been to the people, which was a relief. It sounds bad, but people possess healing capabilities that the guildhall would be jealous of. That is unless we had Time Arc…which we didn't. I looked down at the memory of Ultear. I guess I'd never see her again. She'd vanished after the games. I sighed and shook my head. Now wasn't the time to think about that.

"Erza and Grey. Please come to the library!" Levy called from overhead on the second floor. I was glad our guildhall had been restored after the Grand Magic Games, but I was still readjusting to the spacious room and elegant balconies. Erza and I looked at each other with a questioning look from opposite sides of the room. I sighed again. Shit, I've been doing that a lot lately. I gave myself a double face slap to wake myself up. It didn't help.

"Need some help?" asked Erza. I was a moment too late saying 'no'. She slammed my head with her armored fist. I crumbled to the floor clutching my skull.

"There is NO way that didn't damage my brains, Erza!" I said at the floor, still clutching my head.

"What brains?" she asked, walking nonchalantly past me as if nothing had happened towards the library. _That's Erza for you_, I thought as I got to my feet and walked after her.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

Fairy Tail's library was probably the biggest one I've ever seen…not that I've seen many libraries in my time. I don't make a point of visiting them very often, that is. I didn't have a lot to go on, but I knew Fairy Tail's was one of the best. Rows and rows of various books lines shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling. You need a 20-foot ladder to get to the higher shelves. Even if you didn't search for too long, you'd probably be able to find a book that was potentially dangerous. It's happened to me one too many times. I smiled. It was exactly the same as it was from when I first arrived at the guild. It was comforting that some things never changed.

At the center of the library was a long wooden table. Gramps, Levy, Natsu, and Lucy all sat at the table. Happy was flying around the upper shelves. I craned my neck up to look for him and he waved. I looked back to the table where everyone was waiting. Gramps seemed to be overseeing the whole situation. Levy, who had a bandage over her eye and around her arm, was huddled over a book. Lucy, who had bandages on her hands, pointed to something on the stained pages of the book and Levy nodded. Natsu was leaning against a pile of books that were stacked up against the table. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was about to pass out. He raked his fingers through his hair and opened his eyes again. Apparently whatever they were talking about was more important than sleep. Natsu didn't have any bandages. It was like it was his apology for not being able to save Adel, not that I know what he's thinking. It was hard to tell what was going on in that insane brain of his, however tiny it was.

I quickly stepped down the stairs to the lower area of the library. I patted Natsu on the back, which was out of the ordinary for me, but I felt it was called for in this situation. He didn't argue. Most of us were so out of energy that arguing was out of the question. Everyone was cooperating very well in the post-attack guildhall. Lucy looked to me as I sat beside her. I was painfully aware that her knee was touching mine. _Don't turn red, don't turn red, _I chanted in my head like a mantra. Normally I was cool and collected, but whenever Lucy was involved I lost it and needed damn mantras. Erza sat down across from us, beside Levy.

"We've found something that you all need to know," said Gramps. His face looked grave.

"What is it?" I asked, leaning forward expectantly. Gramps remained silent. This was bad…he was only silent when it was something serious or when he was passed out drunk somewhere. I was pretty sure it wasn't the second option, but I wish it had been.

"I'm afraid that Erza, indeed, had a spell cast on her. Not just any spell, in fact. It was a spell that required an extreme amount of magical energy only possible by wizards as powerful as the 10 Wizard Saints or above. The fact that it was cast on such a powerful wizard as Erza made it more difficult to cast and it required even more magic, but it also ensured a successful mission," said Gramps, his voice strangely even.

"That mission was…" asked Lucy, trailing off as she figured out what gramps meant.

"To eliminate Adel," Gramps said. Natsu stood up and leaned against a bookshelf, raking a hand through his spikey hair. Lucy flinched as he punched the wall with surprising force. He didn't move.

"That answers one of my questions: why did Erza attack Adel. I still have another left, though," I said.

"What's that," asked Erza, clearly feeling guilty again about slicing Adel.

"Why does someone want to kill Adel? She's just a girl," I said.

"No. She's not just a girl," said Lucy quietly, "I…saw something when she was inside the shield. I—" She looked down. I put a hand on her shoulder and she seemed to relax a bit.

"What did you see, Lucy?" asked gramps calmly.

Lucy took a deep breath, "When she raised her hands something strange came from them…like pulses of energy or something. That's when Erza collapsed." I narrowed my eyes. Magical pulses? I looked to gramps, who was stroking his chin in deep thought.

"Magical pulses you say?" he asked Lucy, "Did they appear transparent? Black? White?"

"It just looked like waves of energy were moving through the air…like the air was rippling. Everything seemed to be moving in slow-motion and then Erza just fell."

"It seems this might be the cause for the spell being broken. Strange. It would require even more magical power to break the spell than it would to cast it."

"What? Are you saying Adel is some sort of wizard?" demanded Natsu. His hands were in fists.

"Not necessarily. There's a possibility that…" the Master began. He paused and then looked to Levy, "Levy, show them."

Levy nodded and pushed the book she was previously hovering over to the center of the table. I picked it up. It had faded black binding and its pages felt old. I was a little worried that the ancient-looking book would fall apart right in my hands. I turned it over and read the title: _Dark Spells and Curses_. _Wonderful_, I though, _what could make me feel better about today if it wasn't ancient and powerful curses cast by evil wizards…awesome_.

"Go to the marked page, Grey," she said, pointing to a red ribbon that was hanging out of the top of the book like a crimson tongue. I nodded and complied. Lucy leaned over my shoulder and Natsu over the other.

"Personal space guys!" I said to them…well, mostly to Natsu. I didn't mind having Lucy there, but it's not like I could tell her that. What awaited us on the page was not that surprising. It was a possession spell. My lip curled in disgust.

"Essentially, the wizard who wants to cast this spell must have an immense amount of magical power along with a blood sacrifice. As the Master said, it would require even more power to cast it on Erza," stated Levy.

Lucy's eyes were wide and she was frowning, "By blood sacrifice…you mean _killing _someone?"

"No. Blood from a cut would most likely due. Look here," she said, pointing to the page. It read:

_**The blood from the wound**_

_**Shows the true intent of the caster**_

_**The spell will only succeed**_

_**If the true desires of the caster**_

_**Are genuinely malicious**_

"So basically, you can only cast it if you want to kill the person it's aimed towards. The caster must have also had some sort of piece of Adel like a lock of hair or something that belonged to her. They would have used that to determine that target of the spell. Without it Erza would have randomly gone on a rampage through the streets of Magnolia," said Levy, not sparing Erza's feeling. Erza looked down again.

"Right. So, we know that it was someone who had been close enough to take something from Adel, who really wanted to kill her, and who was a powerful wizard," said Lucy, listing out everything we knew.

"Correct," said Levy.

The Master sighed, "Children, I'm going to have to send you off somewhere." MY eyebrows shot up. Normally all requests and journeys would be suspended for a few days after an attack. Sadly, we were too used to such an occurrence.

"Where did you have in mind?" asked Natsu. Apparently he had calmed down a bit.

"You remember that crazy skirt-chasing knight from Legion?" asked Makarov. Lucy shivered and Natsu snorted. I suppressed a smile. Natsu was shaking. He held it in for a few seconds before he started laughing out loud.

"It's not funny, Natsu! I'm mentally scarred from that experience! Stop laughing!" she whined. Natsu laughed even harder and I cracked up to. She punched me on the shoulder but it didn't hurt at all.

"Don't worry, girl, I know you don't like to remember him," said Levy, touching Lucy's arm. Lucy smiled.

"Levy knows to be gentle with a girl's feelings! There's only so much I can take!" she said, shoving me out of my seat. I was still laughing when my ass hit the ground. I took deep breaths, trying to regain my composure. Lucy was smiling. It was like everything was back to normal.

Gramps was smiling, "Dan Straight was from a town called Cedar. Living in a forest off that coast town is a man who you need to talk to. He's very knowledgeable when it comes to ancient spells. He will be able to tell you about this. You might also be able to find out more about what Adel has done. I have a creeping suspicion, but I'd like you to confirm it with him. His name is Azaiah. You'll find him living in a small cottage in the Iskar woods. He's…a bit strange. He used to have a fairy amount of say in the affairs of the Magic Council due to his extensive knowledge…but," gramps left off.

"But what?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I told you. He's a little strange. You'll see when you meet him," gramps said, sliding off of his chair. I glanced over to Natsu and he shrugged.

"Oh, one more thing. You'll have to bring Adel with you…and bring Laxus, too. You'll be needing him," gramps said as he left the room.

"WHAT!?" Natsu yelled after him. He whirled around to look at me, his pink hair falling to the side.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Isn't she wounded, though? How are we going to bring someone who's injured on a journey?" asked Lucy. She looked at me. _Jeez, why am I the one everyone's looking at? _

"Porlyusica is here. She is quite a capable healer, so I wouldn't worry," interjected Erza.

"Honestly I'm more worried about bringing Laxus with us…seriously," I mumbled. Lucy smiled. _Nice one, Grey_, I praised myself silently. I mentally fisted the air.

"We should go and visit Adel. You can apologize for—" I was cut off by Lucy's sharp elbow in my gut. The points I'd just earned with my joke left me with my breath. Damn, she was tougher than I gave her credit for. This girl really was something. I doubled over, "I mean…w-what I meant to s-say is…I'm sure Natsu wants to see her." Apparently that was a bad choice of words. I found this out when I got Natsu's elbow in my gut.

"Seriously? A guy can only take so many elbows to the stomach before he changes!" Everyone laughed while I was still clutching my stomach.

"Want me to contribute? If that change is getting rid of that stripping habit of yours I wouldn't mind giving you a good elbowing," Erza jested, patting me on the back.

"That's very generous of you, but I'll have to pass," I replied.

I grinned at the floor as we got up to go and visit Adel.


	5. Chapter 5: Adel

**(ADEL'S POV)**

This was the second time I'd been lying in a bed due to medical mishaps during my measly two days at Fairy Tail. This was not ideal. Sure, my life had been in danger a few times here and there. I've been stabbed. I've been beaten. I've even been attacked by a woman wielding a spatula…it wasn't a proud day for me. Let's not forget when I was sent flying while simultaneously set on fire. Yeah, I'd been through some bad stuff before, but being skewered by a crazy bitch wielding a sword was definitely a first.

I suppose most people would ask me, "What's it like to get sliced open by a sword?" To sum it up I'd say, "It hurts." I'd leave it at that. I wasn't one to complain about pain…sure this was probably the worst pain I'd ever been in, but that's all right. I was tough. Besides, Wendy and some weird lady with pink hair were treating my shoulder.

"I'm afraid I cannot return you to your previous appearance," said the old lady, gingerly putting some herb that smelled like death on my shoulder. She'd ripped off my hoodie, against my will might I add, and cut open my shirtsleeve. I'd liked that shirt, damnit.

"Isn't that a given, though. I mean, I was stabbed with a sword," I said through clenched teeth. For a medicine lady she sure was touchy-feely.

"No. If you don't believe me, ask Erza," she said, still focusing on my arm. Damn, wizards were scary. If you could get your eye ripped out and then get it back just like that I wondered why they didn't go around helping random cripples. Actually, that would be kind of strange.

"I don't mean to pry, but who exactly are you?" I asked.

"Porlyusica," she said and then turned back to her work. Wow, really friendly lady.

"Wendy, where am I?" I asked.

"The medical wing. It's sort of like our guild's hospital," she said with a smile. I frowned. _Awesome, I'm in a hospital. Seriously, I doubt this could be any worse._

"Pass me some more of that Bogbean, Wendy," said the woman. Wendy nodded and looked at my sympathetically. I shot her a questioning look and then screamed out in pain. It was like the initial pain in my arm was just multiplied by one hundred. I vaguely registered Wendy trying to help me with her magic, but I was honestly to busy writhing in agony to pay attention to her. I wanted to cry, but stubbornly refused to. The pain started to fade and I took deep breaths. My arm stung a bit, but other than that it felt fine. Long strips of seaweed-like plants were pasted to my arm. I didn't want to think about why my arm smelled, so I pushed the thought away. I looked down at my arm. Miraculously, my skin had closed up. The previously bloody and enflamed skin had almost returned to its normal color. It wasn't completely closed up, but that was all right. I didn't mind having a few badass scars here and there.

"Adel, this will help with the pain," Wendy said, offering me another herb.

"Thanks, Wendy, but I'm honestly done with the herbs. Plus that smells like piss," I said to her, waving it away, "It doesn't hurt that bad."  
"That's not what it sounded like to me," said a voice from the doorway. I turned to look and standing in the door was Lucy. Her head was tilted to the side so that her hair was falling over her face. She had bandages on her hands, which made me wonder if she had been injured trying to save me. She was looking at me with soft eyes. I'd never had anyone look at me like that before. It made me shift beneath the sheets. She looked like she was about to start crying.

My eyes went wide when she bolted across the room towards where I was sitting up in bed. She gave me a bear hug and I yelped, "Shoulder, shoulder, shoulder!" Her eyes went wide and she pulled away, raising her hands in surrender, "Sorry!"

"I'm so glad you're ok, Adel," she said to me. I could tell she honestly meant it, too. Her previous cheesy statement came to mind, _now you have a sister_. I found myself smiling. Lucy looked at my shoulder. I had to admit it looked pretty nasty. It had all sorts of disgusting, smelly herbs draped and rubbed into the ripped skin. Yeah, it definitely wasn't a pretty sight. I'm just glad she'd missed the lovely view of my wound post-Porlyusica. That was truly a nasty sight to behold.

Lucy whimpered, which was weird because I was the one in pain, "Are you ok?" Dumb question. I was obviously _not _ok, but I let it slide.

"Honestly, I've been better," I said, still smiling. I found that Lucy had that effect on me. When I saw her smiling face, I smiled too.

"Yeah, that looks pretty bad," she said. I didn't dare tell her that it had been worse before Porlyusica had applied her wonder herbs. Hey, that was a good idea for a product: _Grandma Porlyusica's Miracle Herbs. _I'm pretty sure she'd physically abuse me if she found out I was mentally calling her a grandma.

"Hey, newbie! Was it fun getting stabbed?" called a voice. Shit, I recognized that voice all too well.

"Hey, stripper. Oh, yeah it was a blast. Made my day! I even got a sweet scar as a souvenir," I called across the room as Grey rounded the corner of the door. He stopped for a second and looked behind him. He grabbed something and yanked. In popped Natsu. He looked weirdly shy. _He must have been hesitating at the doorway, _I thought…cute. His unkempt pink hair was pushed out of his face. He bowed his head but his eyes were looking at me.

"Hey, pinky!" I said happily. He flushed and I laughed.

"Don't call me that!"

"Sure thing, pink—I mean, Natsu."

Suddenly a strange blanket of silence covered the room. It took me a moment to realize why everyone had stopped talking. Sitting on the end of my bed was Lucy. Grey and Natsu stood next to each other at the foot of the bed. Porlyusica and Wendy were tending to their medicines quietly in the corner of the room at a large, ornate table. Standing in the doorway was Erza. I stared at her and she looked at the ground. She took three slow yet huge steps across the room. She bowed in front of me and looked up, "I'm truly sorry. I don't harbor any ill feelings towards you. You may hit me if you so desire."

I weighed my options. She seemed like a scary lady, so I wasn't sure I wanted to piss her off. On the other hand, I _really _wanted to slap her across the face. She'd stabbed me and that pissed me off. I felt that my attack would be justified. I looked to Lucy and the others. Lucy was shaking her head. Grey was doing the same. Natsu just stared at me, his gaze saying: _don't do it. If you do it you'll regret it. _I shrugged. Who cared about them anyways?

"Thanks for the offer," I said. I raised my hand and whipped it across her face. It wasn't that hard, but it was enough to turn heads. Wendy jumped. Lucy covered her face with her hands. Grey's jaw dropped and Natsu took a step back, "Oh, damn." Seriously? Were they all that scared of this person?

Erza stood up, her cheek bright red and her eye watering. I don't think she was crying…it was more of a side effect of the force I exerted on her face. I grinned, satisfaction filling me up.

"Normally people don't take me up on that offer, but I guess I deserved that," she said, gingerly touching her cheek.

"You did give me permission…and, hey, I could have punched you," I said. I stuck out my hand, "Nice to meet you, Erza. I'm Adel." I smiled. I wasn't really angry at her, but it felt good to get some of my pent up anger out. I felt kind of sorry about it, but I didn't dare say that out loud.

Erza stared at my hand and then smiled, "Nice to meet you, too. I'm Erza."

"What? You think I don't know the name of the woman who impaled me with her sword?"

Erza laughed out loud. I guess everything was ok.

"I can honestly say that I've never seen anyone slap Erza like it was nothing," said Grey, "Your awesome level just went from here to here." He gestured to above his head. I grinned.

"What can I say? I'm pretty great," I answer, shrugging and then wincing.

"Don't move your shoulder!" scolded Porlyusica. She really wasn't a pleasant person, but I was glad for her help.

"Sorry, ma'am," I said immediately.

"As expected, Porlyusica is still tougher," said Grey. That earned him a slap on the side of his head. I grinned. It was nice having people surround my bed.

Lucy caught me looking at everyone and leaned over. She whispered in my ear, "We'll always be here for you." That statement seemed impossible, but I was still glad to have heard it. I suddenly felt really emotional. Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. I buried my face in my knees. I didn't want to cry in front of everyone. Lucy rested her head on my uninjured shoulder…thankfully. It would ruin the moment if I screamed out in pain and automatically socked her in the nose. I smiled. We'd only met a couple days ago and we were already this close. It was nice. It felt like home.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

After everyone left I drifted back to sleep. When I finally woke up—or rather I got that strange, fuzzy, half-awake and half-asleep feeling that you get when you first wake up—I didn't even open my eyes. I lay in bed, weirdly tired for someone who just slept for a long time. I guess the healing process had made a large divot in my energy supply. I sucked in a deep breath of the air. It smelled of herbs, some more pleasant than others. I was lying on my side, keeping my shoulder away from the sheets. I eased my eyes open. My bed was close to the wall, so I didn't see much. Wooden shelves lined the walls in front of me. Strange glass jars of different shapes and sizes sat on the shelves. Different medicinal herbs filled them. One of them contained what looked to be worms or, even worse, leeches. I didn't want to know what that jar was for. I made a mental note not to piss of Porlyusica. It was dark outside the small window. Light flickered across the walls, reflecting off of the jars. It looked like my own personal display of stars.

I heard a sigh and went rigid. _Shit, is someone behind me. _I squeezed my eyes for a moment and then slowly eased myself upright. The pain in my shoulder was almost gone. I turned around and saw something I didn't expect. Sitting in a chair, using his arms as a pillow, was Natsu asleep on my bed. I was too tired to question why he was here. The source of the light was a candle. It was placed on the desk, its wax dripping slowly down its sides. I sighed and looked to my shoulder.

I slowly peeled off the weird herbs. They'd mysteriously changed color during the time I was passed out. The cold air greeted my wound and the corner of my eye twitched in response. My shoulder was almost healed. A trail of bright red remained where there used to be a gaped wound…impressive. I tried to move my arm and felt a little tightness and a stinging, tingling sensation. I probably would have died if I had a wound like this before I met Fairy Tail…then again I wouldn't have gotten this wound if I hadn't known Fairy Tail.

My train of thought was interrupted by a deep sigh from Natsu. I lowered my arm slowly and looked down at him. He looked peaceful. When I'd seen him awake he looked cheerful and energetic, which, in its own way, was special, but when he was asleep he looked completely different. The soft lines of his face were illuminated in the candlelight. With each breath he took, his shoulders rose and fell. I hadn't noticed before, but his eyelashes were long and dark. A lock of hair fell over one of his eyes. I had a strange urge to reach out and touch him. He was sleeping…what harm could it do? Candlelight shone on my fingernails as I slowly reached out to him with my hand. I touched a lock of his hair. It was soft between my fingers. I cocked my head, running my fingers down the side of his face. His skin was strangely smooth. I'd thought he was just a kid, but he seemed different now.

I withdrew my hand, painfully aware of how close he was, "Natsu." I poked him in the face. He didn't wake up. I smiled. _Weirdo. _I poked his nose, his forehead, and his shoulder. All failures. I lifted both of my arms and pulled his cheeks as hard as I could. He bolted upright, looking confused. Angry red marked stared back at me from where I pinched him. I felt a little guilty about it, but the delight from seeing him look frantic overpowered the guilt.

He eventually remembered where he was a looked at me. I grinned, "Did you have a good sleep?" His eyes went wide and his face turned red. The blush spread to the tips of his ears and down to his collarbone. I giggled. _What the hell was that…I don't giggle_.

"I didn't fall asleep on purpose. I just thought if you woke up and no one was here you'd be lonely and I—wait no, I didn't mean to say that. I meant…what was I going to say. I-I just—" He was stammering over his words like a little kid. I tussled his hair without knowing why. He tensed up.

"I'm not mad," I said, "Anything happen while I was out?" He seemed to calm down.

"There's something you might want," he said, a childish excitement gleaming in his eyes. I raised one brow. It was a talent that I was proud of: another one of my strange quirks. Natsu turned in his chair and pulled open a drawer. He took out something that looked like a giant stamp.

"What is it?" I asked him, strangely eager for him to tell me. I had an unhealthy curiosity for things that I didn't know. Not telling me about something was like dangling some food in front of a starving person: cruel and unfair. I shifted in my seat; he had my complete attention.

"Look at it," he said, handing it over. I looked at the design on the bottom. A bird-like symbol stared back at me.

"A bird," I stated. Natsu frowned.

"It's Fairy Tail's guild insignia…it's a fairy," he said as if it were obvious.

"Sorry," I replied, feeling kind of bad for mistaking my guild's symbol to be a bird.

"Give it here. Show me your arm," he said. I gave the stamp thing to him and I stuck out my injured arm; he shook his head. I offered him the other. He took my hand and my face flushed. He was really close, our faces only inches apart. He was completely focused on the task at hand, though…whatever that was. He lifted the stamp and pressed it to my skin. I felt a quick tingling feeling where the stamp pressed into my skin until he removed the stamp. I looked at my arm and saw a black fairy looking up at me. It's dark color stood out against my pale skin. I grinned, "Does this mean I'm officially a Fairy Tail member?"

He nodded, "I thought you'd like it. You should get some more rest. Porlyusica said you should sleep as much as you could before we leave tomorrow."

I raised one eyebrow again. I was strangely fond of that ability.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. Get some sleep," he said as I lay down. He pulled up my blankets. As soon as my head hit the pillow I felt consciousness slip away. His chair creaked as he leaned back in it. A small smile graced my lips; he wasn't leaving here tonight.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

I'd never been an early riser, so when Natsu nudged my arm to wake me I instinctively reached for my knife…only it wasn't there. I usually slept with it on me. It might sound uncomfortable, but it wasn't. It was comforting to me. I'd had it as long as I could remember…which, granted, wasn't very long and had some gaps. I sat up immediately, panic rising.

"Where's my knife?" I demanded of Natsu. He shrugged.

"I'll ask gramps about it when I see him," he said. I didn't want to have lost it. It was my important keepsake. It made up for the memories I had lost. My breathing slowed and I looked at Natsu.

"What time is it? God-awful o'clock?" I asked, rubbing my eyes to try and keep them in focus.

He laughed, a cheerful and energetic tone, "It's eight in the morning."

"Oh, so I was right," I said, starting to peel my blankets off, "Did you stay here all night?" He looked down and nodded.

"I'll leave you to get ready. There are some clothes on the desk from Lucy," he said and made good of his statement. I yawned. I touched my feet to the cold wooden floor. I stretched my arms above my head. It took me a moment to realize that it had been painless. I looked down at my arm. A pale scar lasted the length of my collarbone and down the top of my shoulder. _Badass_, I thought, _just wait until Joey sees this_. Joey was a street fighter who I often beat the shit out of.

I pulled on Lucy's clothes, which fit me surprisingly well. I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was practically a bird's nest, but Lucy had thought of everything. I picked up the brush she'd left me and raked it through my hair. _Much better_, I thought to myself. My violet hair tumbled down my chest in smooth waves. I stared at myself. It had been a long time since I had stared directly at my eyes. Now that I looked, Lucy was right. They were actually very pretty. I guess Lucy had managed to boost my self-confidence levels. "Lookin' good," I said to no one in particular. I pulled my hair to one side, exposing my neck to the cold air. I shivered and walked out the door…or at least tried to. I walked smack into a wall. _Funny, I don't remember there being a wall here_.

I took a few steps back, holding my nose. At least it wasn't bleeding. I looked up. It wasn't a wall, but a person. "Hewwo," I said, still holding my nose. I removed my hand as soon as I realized that it was weird. The man wore a deep violet coat that reached his knees. He wore it more as a cloak than a coat, crossing his arms over his chest without wearing the sleeves. His was wearing a leopard-print shirt, which seemed a little weird on a man. A uniquely lightning shape scar was imprinted on his right eye. It was all topped off by spikey blond hair.

"Wicked scar," I said, eyeing his face.

He stared at me, "Same to you." I narrowed my eyes.

"Nice coat."

"Nice hair."

"Touché." I liked this guy.

"The old man wants to see you," he said. I nodded and followed him out.

"If you had come in a few minutes earlier you'd be bleeding on the floor by now," I said as I followed him down a series of hallway. He smirked.

"Is that so?" he asked. I nodded. We were silent for the rest of the walk.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

The guy who brought me here stayed outside the door when I went inside. Makarov was sitting on a stool, his white coat swathed around him like a blanket. Sunlight streamed in from the open window. A slight breeze entered the room, ruffling the papers on Makarov's desk. Bookshelves stood on the corners of the room and portrayals of what I assumed where the pervious guild masters lined the walls. There was a faded area on his wall in the shape of a picture frame where the sunlight hadn't hit for a while.

"Someone stole it?" I questioned.

"He became a disgrace," answered Makarov. I fell silent.

"I see you've met my grandson?" asked Makarov.

My eyes went wide, "Pfft." There was a hilarious different in height between the two men. I had a disturbing vision of the guy outside carrying Makarov around in a purse like a small dog flash through my head. I cursed my vivid imagination. Makarov was staring at me and I realized I had just done something rude. _Of course I had to visualize something terrifying before I come to my senses. _"I mean, um," I cleared my throat, "Nice guy."

"I assume you know why you're here," stated Makarov. I shook my head and wrapped and arm around myself. It was strangely uncomfortable in the room. Makarov had an overwhelming presence for such a puny guy.

"Do you have anything to tell me, Adel?" he asked.

My eyebrows shot up, "How did you know?"

"You'd been glancing at me when you were inhaling that chicken last night." My cheeks flushed. _Great, I'm going to be known as the inhaler of chicken. _I imagined myself being announced at a ball. "Introducing Adel, member of Fairy Tail and Esteemed Inhaler of Chicken!" Man, I had to get my imagination under control.

"So, what is it?" asked Makarov. His voice wasn't demanding…more like concerned. Fairy Tail really did seem like a family.

"I've had…pictures fly through my head," I said.

"What kind of pictures?"

"There's fire. Another image was of me reaching for a dragon. The last one was of a huge black dragon. It said I was the key."

Makarov's eyes went wide, "Did this dragon have blue designs on its entire body?"

"Uh…yeah, I think. Why?"

"It's an old friend of Fairy Tail's. I'll try and understand what all this means. Go and speak with Natsu and the rest. They'll tell you what to do next. I believe they're in the guildhall." The tiny man practically shoved me out of his office and I almost smacked into the guy again, who was still waiting outside the door. _Close one_, I thought. It would've been really awkward if I smacked into him again…not that it wasn't awkward the first time.

"Have a nice talk with the old man?" he asked, "I'm Laxus. Nice to meet you." He nodded and turned towards the guildhall. I followed behind him. There were some strange people in Fairy Tail and I had a creeping feeling that I hadn't seen the half of it.


	6. Chapter 6: Erza

**(ERZA'S POV)**

My body felt strange, like it wasn't completely mine. My movements were jerky and unsteady. Maybe it was a side effect of the possession spell. I wasn't going to complain because I still felt guilty about attacking Adel. She seemed like a good person. I can't say I wasn't surprised when she hit me, but I had asked for it…literally. I was sitting at the bar having a drink when Adel came up to me, Laxus in trail.

"I see you've met Laxus," I said. Adel nodded and leaned close to me. She raised her hand and put it in front of her face as if it would conceal her words.

"Is this guy really the Master's grandson?" she whispered. I smiled and nodded.

"Most people find it surprising," I answered back quietly.

"Hey, what are you two whispering about?" demanded Laxus, looming over us. Adel flinched but I just looked up at him. I'd been around Laxus so long that I didn't harbor any fear towards him.

"Why do you care, Laxus?" I asked him, smirking. He left with a mere _che_. Most people either didn't bother fighting with me, like Laxus, or were too afraid to. That's why I liked Adel. She'd stood up to me without hesitation and that was refreshing. Adel sat down beside me.

"I was told to come find you," she said to me then turned to Mira behind the bar and ordered a drink.

"Yeah. We should get everyone together. We're going on a trip," I said, taking a sip of my drink. I fingered the handle of the mug.

"A trip? Any particular reason?" she asked. She was looking at me with eyes full of curiosity.

"We're going to—" I started but was cut off by Levy jump tackling Adel from behind.

"Adel! I'm so glad you're ok!" Levy squealed. My eyebrows rose. Had they even met?

"Um, I don't mean to be rude, but who are you exactly?" asked Adel, Levy still hanging on her shoulders. _That answered that question_, I thought_._ Adel was able to easily support Levy's weight. She was stronger than she looked. I figured Levy would look disappointed, but thought better of it when I considered Levy's personality. I was right.

Levy just smiled and dropped off of Adel's back. She stuck out her hand and said cheerfully, "Levy McGarden. Nice to meet you!" Adel raised a single eyebrow, which was impressive in its own right. Adel shook her hand.

"I guess you already know me, huh?" said Adel more as a statement than a question.

"Yup! Everyone does! By the way, I love your heterochromia…it's fascinating. Gajeel, come here!" she called over her shoulder. I could literally see frown lines appearing on Adel's face, which was strange because her skin looked so flawless one might think she never frowned. Gajeel sauntered over to where we were.

As he was on his way over Adel asked, "You like my…hetero-what?" Another single eyebrow.

"Heterochromia. It's when you have differently colored irises due to a lack of pigment," replied Levy. I didn't even try to understand the inner workings of Levy's brain. Gajeel reached us.

He looked down at Levy and placed a hand on her head. Levy was a petite girl, so her head was dwarfed by Gajeel's hand. "What is it?" he grumbled. It was pretty obvious that Gajeel didn't like Adel by the mere fact that he was avoiding looking at her. He was instead staring at the floor, the wall, Levy, and me: anywhere was fine as long as it wasn't at Adel. When his eyes landed on Levy, though, his face turned red. I smirked. It was pretty comical to see such a gruff and scary looking guy turn red like an embarrassed teenager. Everyone thought they were one of the cutest couples in Fairy Tail. It was like a romance between a little fairy and a giant monster. _I'm glad Gajeel can't hear my thoughts, _I thought.

Levy reached out and grasped his arm, "Jeez, can you at least try to get along with her? She's my friend!"

"We're friends?" asked Adel, apparently not aware that Levy was friends with _everyone_.

"Yes," said Levy without hesitation and then turned back to Gajeel, "Please?" She whipped out her best puppy eyes…they always got Gajeel.

Gajeel looked pained as if he were trying his hardest to not give in. His shoulders slumped, "Fine, but we're not gonna be best buddies or nothin'." Levy sure knew how to manipulate him. She jumped up and kissed him on the cheek and I could have sworn I saw steam come out his ears. She pulled his arm and led him away.

"Come see me later, ok Adel?" she called over her shoulder. Adel just shot her a questioning look.

"Those two are…" started Adel, trailing off.

"Yeah, I know," I said. We looked at each other and then laughed.

"What's the cause for the laughing? You two seem like best friends even though your relationship started out with a fight to the death," said a voice behind me. I turned and saw Grey, Lucy, and Natsu standing behind me.

"Small barriers," said Adel.

Lucy laughed, "So, how are you feeling this morning?"

Adel smiled, "Like my arm was never almost lobbed off!" I looked down, guilt stabbing me again. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, I'm not angry. It was a joke," said Adel, concern in her voice. She really was a good person. I nodded.

"But you have to think that Erza was fighting in there. Knowing her, if she really wanted to, she could have easily killed you instead of missing," Natsu pointed out. I looked at him. I had never really thought about it that way, but I was grateful either way.

"Wow, some vote of confidence," jested Adel.

"Erza's badass level is way above most of the guild's members," he replied. I punched him in the stomach and he stumbled backwards.

"Hey, that was a compliment!" he wheezed. I guess I shouldn't have punched him so hard.

I smiled, "It was also an exaggeration." Natsu gave me a sarcastic nod.

"Oh, hey, Adel. I think this is yours," said Lucy quickly. She was holding a knife of some sort. It was elegantly carved with intricate designs. On the hilt was a strange symbol. I looked like an upside down 'v' with a tail. **(Author's Note: Google 'lambda')**

**λ**

It was sheathed, so I couldn't tell what the blade was. Adel's eyes went wide and she snatched it from Lucy. She cradled it in her arms, which was sort of weird.

"Thank you so much Lucy!" she said. Lucy smiled.

"Sure thing," Lucy replied. Adel looked down at the blade, her purple hair falling over her shoulders and tumbling down her chest. She swiped it behind her ear and I noticed she had an upper ear piercing on her left ear. She unsheathed the blade and I narrowed my eyes. The shape looked strangely familiar. Natsu recognized it before I did.

His eyes went wide, "That's a dragon tooth!" It certainly looked like one. I recalled when I'd seen a dragon for the first time and pushed the painful memory back in the deep, dark depths of my brain. The blade had a deadly curve and what looked to be a very sharp edge. It had been taken good care of. The question was: how did Adel get her hands on a dragon tooth? It's not like you could just walk into a shop and buy one. My brows furrowed.

"Where did you get this?" demanded Natsu seriously. Whenever the topic of dragons came to light he would always get serious…and with good reason.

"Uh, um—" stuttered Adel.

"Where?!" Natsu repeated. Lucy looked like she wanted to help Adel but didn't know how.

"I-I don't know! I've always had it for as long as I can remember!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means I have no memories from before I was ten years old!" Adel was leaning back as if she wanted to get as far away from Natsu as she could. I stood up.

"That's enough, Natsu." I shot him one of my glares that said: _if you don't stop this now, I will end you_. Natsu shut up…too easy. I turned to Adel. Her eyes were frantic. From what I'd seen of her she was always sassing people and showing off her strength, so seeing her look like she wanted to run away told me this was a sensitive topic. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to not remember anything from before I was ten years old. I preferred not to remember the Tower, but some things you just can't erase. I shook my head to clear myself of those dark thoughts, mostly because they reminded me of someone I hadn't seen since the Grand Magic Games.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, touching her arm gently. Lucy shoved past Natsu and came to her side.

"You don't have to remember things you don't want to. We all have things we'd rather not remember," she said. Empathy shone in her brown eyes. I imagined she was remembering her father and how she wasn't there in the end, but I didn't dare ask. Adel nodded as she restored her usual light attitude, "It's not that I don't want to remember, it's that I can't." She was smiling but her voice was still weak. I sat back down beside her. Natsu was quiet, staring at the floor. Grey went over to him and said, "Guilty."

The two head-butted and started throwing horribly hilarious insults back and forth between each other. I sighed and stood up. Within a few seconds I had stopped their petty fight by leaving dents in their skulls. I plopped back down on my chair.

"Why is that always my responsibility?" I pondered.

Lucy shot me an incredulous look, "Erza, let's not forget that when we're out on jobs you are _always _the one who leaves the most damage in her wake." I looked at her skeptically.

"Not _always_." The incredulous look persisted and I traced circled on the bar counter. Adel laughed.

"Sounds like fun," she said, "But I'm not confident that I won't die on this trip. Between you guys always flinging magical attacks at each other and the inevitable monsters or two I'm pretty sure I'll come away with something that can't be healed with a few butt-smelling herbs."

Lucy laughed, "Butts? Seriously?"

"Stop bringing up the bad memories!" said Adel, false torment in her eyes. The boys had gotten back to their feet by now.

"Well, should we tell her where we're going?" asked Grey. He was looking at me.

I nodded, "We're going to a small town called Cedar. In a forest near there is a man name Azaiah that we have to speak with." I was obviously leaving out the part about how we suspected she was a powerful wizard and that we were going to ask about that, but she didn't seem to notice…or maybe she just didn't care.

"So it's the five of us?" she asked.

"And Happy!" Natsu protested.

"Yeah, cool," replied Adel, turning to take a swig of her drink, then after a few seconds of silence, "Wait, who's Happy? Is that really a name?"

"He's my best friend," said Natsu, sounding offended. I suppressed a laugh. The blue, flying, talking cat was floating behind Adel's head looking seriously pissed of.

"Your best friend's name is _Happy_? You're not pulling my leg, right?"

"I don't see what's wrong with my name." Adel turned, most likely about to toss another sarcastic comment Happy's way. When she saw him floating there on his wings—and that he was a blue cat—her mouth fell open wide enough for that sarcastic comment to fall out and disappear into the air. I laughed out loud and so did everyone else.

"Wh-what the h—what?" she breathed, stumbling over her words. She whirled around and looked at everyone, her gaze skipping between the members of our team, "Happy is a cat…that talks…and has wings…and is blue?" She was waiting for someone to tell her she was crazy, no doubt, but was all just grinned smugly at her. Adel, who usually always had something to say, was at a loss for words.

Her eyes returned to normal and she shut her mouth quickly, "So, Natsu. Does that mean you named him? Genius…I have to say. Using an adjective as a name…pure genius." Everyone laughed except Natsu and Happy. Adel's eyes went wide again, "Oh, sorry, Happy. I didn't mean that I didn't like your name, it's just…unusual…in a good way!" Everyone laughed again. It would be nice having Adel in our group. She fit in like the final puzzle piece that always comes with a sweet exhilaration.

"I go wherever Natsu goes," Happy said, going to hang off of Natsu's head. It seemed like it would be annoying to have an exceed hanging off of you 24/7, but Natsu looked like he didn't mind it. I guess you get used to it after a while. Laxus was approaching us from across the room.

"We're also bringing Laxus. I've filled him in on everything," I said. Lucy shot me a look to ask: _everything as in all of it? _I nodded.

"So, he is coming after all," mumbled Natsu, Happy still adorning his head like a hat and looking at Laxus.

"I take it you two don't get along that well? Is he an asshole or something?" Adel asked.

"He's just angry he can't beat me," said Laxus. Adel jumped. He had approached from behind her and surprised her.

She turned slowly, "Hey there, Laxus…buddy. We were just talking about you!"

The corner of Laxus's lip twitched, "I could tell."

"Really? Could you, now? And, if you would be so kind as to tell me, how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough," he said, taking a strange delight in antagonizing Adel. She nodded a pursed her lips, leaning back on the bar and propping herself up on her elbows. She gave me a look like, _why didn't you warn me he was right behind me? Come on, I thought we were friends! _I just grinned.

"When do we leave?" she asked, the look slipping away from her eyes.

"As soon as possible," I replied and stood up, "Get packing." Adel nodded, not surprised. I guess she'd adjusted to our guild's spontaneity.

"Well, ever since I was stabbed I've been needing a vacation," said Adel jokingly. Everyone laughed. Yeah, she was a good addition to our group.


	7. Chapter 7: Lucy

**(LUCY'S POV)**

I always felt a sense of loss when I stepped over Fairy Tail's threshold before a mission. The feeling was similar to leaving home after being curled up in front of the fire. It was like leaving the ultimate comfort. I guess that'd be because Fairy Tail was like a second home to me. It was a safe haven, an oasis.

That was the feeling I had when our team set out for Cedar at about noon. Adel and I were walking together and talking about possibly stopping at a resort along the way. She looked like she needed it. She'd joked about needing a vacation—though going on a dangerous mission most likely wasn't the ideal vacation, nor was Cedar the ideal vacation spot—but I wouldn't be lying if I said that a soak in an onsen would do her good. Natsu and Grey were arguing, Happy flying around their heads, and Laxus and Erza were walking silently.

"Laxus!" called a woman's voice from behind us. I turned. Cana was running towards us and Laxus had spun around. They stood facing each other in the tall doorway. Adel and I glanced knowingly at each other and pretended to continue having a conversation about the trip while covertly watching them.

"You forgot this," said Cana, looking up at him. She extended her arm and handed something to him. It was a card.

"That's probably a _call _card. You can use them to talk over long distances," I said to Adel. Adel smiled.

"They're so cute. Look at how awkward they look," she said, giggling. Indeed, they did look awkward. They had been dating for a few weeks. They thought no one knew but it was really obvious. Cana was trying to look stealthy while talking to him. It didn't work. Laxus, though, was even worse. A slight hint of a blush was displayed on his face for everyone to see.

He cleared his throat, "Thanks." His voice sounded rough, like he didn't quite know what to say. I smiled, secretly wishing that I could have something like that. I wanted to be held tightly in someone's arms, his soft whispers of sweet nothings tickling my ear. I'd never really known anything like that, but I'd read about it. I loved reading, and romance was one of my favorites genres. I sighed and the same time Adel did. We looked at each other and laughed.

"You were thinking the same thing I was, right?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Were you thinking that you would kill for something like that?" she asked in return.

"Pretty much…minus the killing part, I guess," I said. We laughed again and let out more sighs.

"So how about it?"

"How about what?"

"I had a boyfriend once. At least, I thought he was my boyfriend. Turned out he just took the one thing I'll never get back and then dumped me on my ass," she said. I felt my face flush.

I tried to hide it, but she noticed, "Oh my god! You're so innocent! Seriously?"

I nodded, "I've never had a boyfriend. I was arranged to be married once, but that…ended." I thought of my father and felt my spirits falling. _No, I won't be sad again_, I thought. I looked up and smiled, "That doesn't mean I don't want a boyfriend."

"Don't we all," said Adel, "So, are there any possibilities out there?" A certain face popping in my head and I mentally bitch slapped myself. I was definitely not getting together with him. Despite thinking that and being convinced that it was a bad idea, his image kept appearing. It nipped at the back of my brain saying: _me, me, pick me! _The fact that my subconscious was harassing me pissed me off a little bit, but not as much as it creeped me out.

"Not really," I said, another blush. Damnit, why was I blushing so much? I felt lame compared to Adel. She nudged me.

"Sure there aren't," she said disbelievingly.

Right on cue, Natsu propped his arm up on my shoulders, "Are you kidding? Lucy is Mrs. Popularity. She's got fans who are out of this world…literally!" I grimaced as Adel shot me a questioning look.

I turned to Natsu, "Loki is so _not _a possibility!" I felt pretty bad saying that, and it wasn't that I hated him or anything, I was just a bit skeptical of a relationship between a human being and an immortal celestial spirit. My mortality would be a major obstacle if I were to pursue that path…which I had no intention of doing.

"He liiiikes you," said Happy and he drifted past my fast. The 'i's were stretched too far for my short temper. Batted at him and put on my best devil face, channeling Mira's takeover magic.

"Get back here, cat!" I yelled as he flew just out of my reach. I jumped and my hand touched his tail, but gravity bested me before I was able to grasp it and fling him face-first into a wail. The initial plan was to swing him above my head like a lasso, but I had thought this a little harsh and revised my game plan to simple face to wall impact…not that afterwards there wouldn't be a Happy-face-shaped crater in the wall. I gave up, wishing that I could fly.

I looked back to Adel who was smiling suspiciously. I took a step back, narrowing my eyes, "What are you looking at me like that for?"

She took a step towards me, "Who is Loki?" The devious if not satanic smile grew larger and she leaned closer to me. I shivered. She clasped her hands behind her back as her violet ponytail blew in the wind.

"You're really curious aren't you?" I asked her. She nodded like a little kid and grinned at me. I half expected her to sit down cross-legged right there and look at me with expectant eyes as if she were expecting story. I sighed. There wasn't much I could do against such a face.

"Fine, I'll show you. But only for a second ok?"

"What do you mean you'll show me? Oh, and also, what did Natsu mean when he said 'out of this world'?" I stared at her. She really didn't know much about magic.

"I'm a Celestial Spirit Wizard, a holder type," I said pulling out my keys, "I use these to summon Celestial Spirits from the Celestial Spirit world." She looked at me with wide eyes. I almost wanted to her to start jumping up and down demanding that I show her to perfect her childish demeanor.

"You calling Loki out?" asked Grey, striding over. I nodded. Grey and Loki were friends. They had been partners when we went to Tenroujima for the S-Class evaluations.

"I haven't seen him since we visited the Spirit World before the games. What're you waiting for?" I rolled my eyes. I selected Loki's key. I'd grown so familiar with their shapes and symbols that I didn't even have to look to find his key. I guess this was mostly due to the urgency and the necessity of being able to draw a key in the blink of an eye on the battlefield.

"Open, Gate of the Lion! Leo!" I yelled. Golden light flared up around me.

"Lucy!" yelled his voice from behind the wall of light right before he came flying out of it and latched onto me, "Admit it, you missed me." I shot a look at Adel whose eyebrows had disappeared behind her bangs. She smiled as if she were enjoying my torture.

"Get off me," I growled at him. He didn't budge. I shoved him off. Grey was staring at me. I shifted from foot to foot nervously and stared at the ground.

"Hey, isn't Grey looking at you a little icily?" Adel whispered in my ear. She then proceeded to laugh at her own pun.

"That was horrible," I said flatly.

She smiled, "That's why it was great."

"Whatever you say, Adel," I said and then turned to Loki, "Ok, the only reason I called you is because this girl wanted to meet you…I'm not really sure why."

"I see you've heard of my devilish good looks, but I have to turn down your confession. My heart already belongs to Lucy," said Loki, reaching for me again. I slapped his hand away.

Adel laughed, "If you act so bigheaded all the time she won't fall for you, dumbass." She gave a quick _pffft_.

Loki looked shell shocked at turned to me, "Really?"

I nodded. Loki looked thoroughly distressed. I marveled at Adel's ability to control even Loki. Yes, he was one of my more sane spirits compared to the pervert Torus or the masochistic Virgo, but he was still a little crazy. Adel stepped really close to Loki, inches between their faces and examined his face closely. She stepped around him and inspected every inch of him from every angle. He was fidgeting; he apparently didn't like being scrutinized. Adel took a step back and stroked her invisible beard.

She looked at me, "I give him a 9 in appearance and a 5 in personality." I laughed.

"Finally, someone understands!" I said, high-fiving her, "You can go back now." Loki's offending look vanished and was replaced with one of despair.

"But, I just got h—" he began.

I held up my hand to stop him, "No excuses!" His admitted his defeat and bowed to me.

"Call me when you need me, Lucy. I'll always be there for you," he said and then kissed my hand. I could feel blood rushing to my face as he disappeared back to the Celestial Spirit world.

"He's really something. I get what you mean about him not being a candidate for your heart," she said. I shrugged.

"Greeeey-saaaamaaaaaa!" wailed a voice from behind us. I saw Grey go stiff and his eyes go wide.

"Shit! Run for it!" he said to Natsu. The two bolted around the corner and Juvia followed in pursuit.

"Grey-sama! Don't you want the lunch I made specially for you with all my love?" yelled Juvia.

"I don't want it!" I heard Grey yell before his voice was out of my hearing range. I smiled. I felt sort of bad for Juvia, but I didn't think stalking and harassing the one you love was the way to win his heart. I doubted the expression: _the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach_, would apply to Juvia's lunches with strange, wriggling tentacles hanging out of the side and Grey's face made out of food. Nobody wants to eat his or her own face…it's just wrong.

Laxus strode over to us, "Ready to go?" I saw Freid staring at him with despair. My gaydar was definitely pinging.

"I don't know. Are you?" asked Adel with another scary smile. Laxus's eyes went wide before his face went slack. Apparently, covering up their relationship was something he thought he was a master at. Nope.

"What are you talking about?" he asked Adel. She just stared at him as she walked past him in the direction Grey and Natsu had been chased by Juvia, nodding evilly. She waved a hand over her shoulder as if to dismiss the topic. Erza had been fairly silent this entire time.

"Let's go, Lucy," she said, uncrossing her armor-clad arms. I nodded and we set off.

"Good luck! Don't die!" yelled Wendy. _Really optimistic there, Wendy. Thanks for that._

**Author's Note:**

**Don't worry, guys. Just because we've left Fairy Tail doesn't mean that the couples will stop coming. Look forward to it! ;)**


	8. Chapter 8: Laxus

**(LAXUS'S POV)**

It was hard, but I managed to get out of Fairy Tail without anyone noticing about Cana and I. Considering how curious and relentless everyone in Fairy Tail was, that was pretty hard. I wouldn't say I wasn't proud of myself.

We were on our way to the train station where we would catch a ride to Port Hargeon and then travel in various other modes of transportation along the coastline until we reached Cedar. I didn't like people knowing this but, because I'm a Dragonslayer, I get pretty bad motion sickness. During the Grand Magic Games when Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting had all struggled with their motion sickness on moving chariots it became obvious that all Dragonslayers were cursed by unrelenting nausea while on moving vehicles.

"Happy, fly me to the port!" whined Natsu. I looked at him. He was literally dragging his feet. I could understand why.

"Not all of us have flying cats, Natsu," I said to him. It wasn't that I didn't like cats, and sure they could be handy, but I just didn't have one. It would be annoying to have one flying around my head constantly or complaining about wanting fish; I had enough to worry about with Freid always trailing behind me. He had tried to follow us until I detached his clingy ass from our group. I really hoped he wasn't following us in secret…but that's something I would expect from him.

"It's not _my _problem that you don't have cats!" exclaimed Natsu.

"Natsu, stop being a wimp," said Lucy, not even turning to look at him. Man, she could be harsh sometimes. "Learn from Laxus's example. He gets sick and he's not complaining," she said. I wish I could take the compliment without feeling guilt, but I had Wendy cast Troia on me before we left.

"Yeah, Natsu, learn from my example!" I said, patting his head. I dodged as he swung a flaming fist towards my head and cracked him over the back of his neck with a powerful chop. I didn't even have to use any magic and he was out cold.

"Well, that solves that problem," said Erza, "I was actually planning on doing that when we got into the train." I grinned and swung him over my shoulder.

"Natsu!" yelled Happy, rushing to his friend's side.

I frowned, "Calm down, little cat. He's fine."

A frantic voice asked, "Um…is he going to be alright?" It was Adel and her eyes were wide, "Is it normal for you guys to beat the shit out of your friends?"

"I wouldn't really call this guy my friend," I said smoothly. Natsu groaned.

"Is he waking up? Should we hit him again?" asked Grey. I grinned.

"Don't hit him again. He'll have permanent brain damage if you do," said Lucy. I frowned along with Grey and Erza. Apparently we all shared the same delight in punching Natsu. A sharp and sudden whistle from the train interrupted our conversation.

"All aboard!" called the conductor. We made our way over to the train. When the conductor, a man with an impressive mustache, saw Natsu slung over my shoulder his eyes bugged out of his head.

"Don't worry, he just fainted. He doesn't need a doctor…and we're not murderers," said Lucy sweetly. Natsu groaned again. We loaded onto the train and took our seats.

"You ok Laxus?" asked Lucy.

"Shut up," I replied.

"Why wouldn't he be ok?" asked Adel.

"Laxus is a Dragonslayer, just like Natsu. They get motion sickness pretty badly," said Lucy, ignoring my first 'shut up'.

"Shut up," I repeated, dropping Natsu in the spot next to Adel.

"That sucks, man. This is going to be a fun trip for you, huh?" she said.

"Shut up," I said again. Apparently she wasn't getting that I didn't like this subject.

"It's ok, man. We all have weaknesses," said Adel with a cruel smile. I deduced from that evil smile that she was continuing the subject intentionally just to piss me off. That was when Natsu's head fell onto her lap and she raised her hands in shock.

I laughed out loud, "Karma." She gave me a death stare and I crossed my arms and legs. She mumbled a string of most likely vulgar curses under her breath and tried to shove Natsu off her laugh. He moaned and Adel grunted.

"Off! Off, Natsu!" she said, giving him one last shove. He tumbled off of her laugh and landed on the ground. His head made a loud _thunking_ sound as his face hit the train floor. Everyone except for Adel was laughing now.

"Shit!" she said, using her legs to shove him so that his face wasn't flat against the floor. She managed to put him right side up, "He didn't even wake up. He might as well be dead." Natsu moaned. "Nope, not dead. Not yet, at least. That might change next time he lands on my lap," she said sounding pissed off.

"Let's leave him there. He looks comfortable," said Grey, still laughing.

"I don't think it's worth trying to move him," said Lucy, taking out a book by someone called Kemu Zaleon and giving her attention to it. The train rumbled to life.

"Would you like me to knock you out too?" asked Erza, "I would be glad to."

I shook my head, "I had Wendy cast a Troia on me before we left."

"It won't last the entire trip," said Lucy calmly, turning a page.

I grimaced, "I know."

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

"Unguh. Where am I? My head hurts," moaned Natsu. I didn't really have the energy to answer his question. I had my hand propped up in my hands and my eyes closed. I felt a bead of sweat slowly make its way down the side of my head. The nausea was starting to go away now that we had reached the port town, but I still felt weak.

"Man, you look like shit. Quick, Natsu, now's your chance to beat the shit out of him," said Adel. I opened my eyes and stared at her. _So not funny_, I thought.

"Natsu, you're on the floor of a train cab. We're on Port Hargeon now and you need to get off the ground," said Erza calmly. Natsu sat up, holding his head. Once we got out of the train I felt better. The fresh air was always a panacea for my motion sickness. Of course, knowing that Natsu was in pain also helped. We shoved our way through hordes of travellers and out of the train station. The view from the top of Port Hargeon was pretty amazing. The streets, lined with shops and houses, led all the way down to the open sea. The ocean went on as far as the eye could see, the waves shining in the evening sun.

"Let's get something to eat and then we'll head out. We can't stay in the port for too long," said Erza calmly.

"You know, this is where Natsu and I first met," said Lucy. Her eyes looked like they were peering into the past, full of nostalgia, "You remember Natsu?"

Natsu looked at her, "Yep. Let's go find some food." He said, walking off in the direction of the shops. _Wow, Natsu, that was deep_.

Lucy frowned and stalked after him. "Fiiiish!" yelled Happy, swooping down from the sky. God, he was annoying. Yeah, Freid was enough of a handful…I didn't need a cat. Speaking of Freid, I had a minor panic attack when I saw someone with long, green hair pass by. Luckily, it wasn't Fried. I would have sent him back to the guild if it had been. We followed after Natsu and Lucy. I can't say I wasn't looking forward to a good meal.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

After we'd eaten we left Port Hargeon in the direction of Cedar. We were to start out our trip on foot. Our plan was to simply follow to coast until we got to the coastal town. I was just glad Erza hadn't decided we were taking a boat or a wagon.

"According to our maps, there should be a forest along here soon. I asked some of the fishmongers in town if there was a quicker way that going around it, but none of them would even talk about the forest. I have a strange feeling about this. Perhaps there is some danger there," said Erza. Lucy slipped on a damp rock and I caught her arm. She nodded to me and we kept walking. Our path was rough and I knew Lucy was pretty clumsy, so I decided to walk close to her in case she tripped again. To make matters worse, she was holding her dog Celestial Spirit, Plue. If she fell she'd probably refuse to let go of it and land smack on her face.

"Don't worry, I won't slip again," said Lucy, running up to walk beside Grey. I frowned. A thank you would have been nice. I had a feeling she still didn't like me because of the things I'd done to Fairy Tail, even though I'd tried to make up for it by fighting on Tenroujima. I did still felt guilt about the Battle of Fairy Tail.

We came to the edge of a cliff. When I looked down it didn't seem that steep. The remarkable thing about it was that it disappeared into the forest. From above, the forest didn't seem that sinister at all. A bright green canopy stretched pretty far, but not so far that we couldn't see the other side. It really wasn't that large. The sun, however, was setting.

"Should we go in tonight or wait until tomorrow?" I asked to no one in particular.

"We need to make good time. I think we should go. It doesn't look that big," said Grey.

"I agree," said Erza. We started our descent down the cliff. It was pretty high, but it looked like there was a rockslide, leaving an easy path down the hill at a reasonable angle. We made it down the cliff fairly quickly and stood in front of the forest. The trees were pretty high and there was a fair amount of undergrowth. The canopy was thicker than it looked from above and let very little sunlight down to the forest floor.

I took a deep breath, "It could be worse." I took a step forward. A little forest that a few fishmongers were afraid of wasn't going to get the better of me. I stepped into the underbrush. I turned, "Let's—" I stopped short. I was going to tell them to stay together just in case, but it was too late for that. Everyone had vanished.

_Well, shit._ _Damn fishmongers couldn't have warned us? _


	9. Chapter 9: All

**(NATSU'S POV)**

I punched a tree and it groaned like it was laughing at me. "What you think this is funny?" I shouted out. Shit. It was a bad sign that I was talking to trees. I turned and took a deep breath. I could have bothered laying out all my options in front of me, but instead decided to venture into the forest. I figured that this was some sort of teleportation that changed your location once you stepped into the forest. I couldn't see the edge of the woods and a meager amount of light was shining through the tops of the trees.

"Happy! Lucy!" I called out. I could hear my voice echo and bounce off of the trees, but there was no answer. I ducked under and log and continued on my way. I figured if I walked long enough I would either find the end of the forest or run into one of the others. I shivered. Was it getting colder?

I was worried about everyone, but most of all I was worried about Adel. Adel, who was not a wizard and only had a knife to defend herself, was in the most danger out of all of us…including Happy. I'm pretty sure if Adel heard me say that she'd punch me, but it was true. Adel couldn't fly to get out of reach of an attacker, while Happy could. I was pretty sure there was something in this forest that was hostile, if not multiple somethings.

I ignited my fist to serve as a torch and to warm myself up a bit. The flame licked my fingers and swirled up into the air. Sparks drifted up into the air and disappeared into the treetops. I sighed and kept walking. This was a real pain in the ass. Stupid forest. Suddenly it hit me: a smell I'd known my entire life.

"IGNEEL!" I screamed. I dashed through the wood, ducking under saplings and dodging rogue sticks. I felt a sharp sting as the underbrush scratched and tore at my shins. I couldn't be wrong. Igneel was here. I ran towards the source of his smell.

**(GREY'S POV)**

"LUCY!" I called out. I had been walking a ways looking for her…for anyone actually. Getting separated had definitely taken me by surprise. I had expected some dangerous monsters like a group of vulcans, but not this. I suppose with the strength of the wizards on our side, getting separated like this did more damage than being attacked. We would have to find each other, and who knows how long that could take. We could be wandering in circles for hours or even almost a whole day. On top of that, our food supplies were all with Erza, and I was getting hungry. The sunlight was disappearing. I opened my palm and emitted a soft blue light with my magic, crystals of ice forming on the tips of my fingers.

An idea came to me. I started to leave a trail of ice with each footstep so that I could tell where I had been. It was like leaving breadcrumbs except I doubted crows would want to eat ice. I brushed a stray branch aside and tendrils of ice crept down its sides. It felt like the woods were getting thicker with each step. I directed my palm in front of me like a flashlight. I was grateful for the light, but was wondering what Lucy was doing for light. Being apart from her in a place like this was driving me crazy.

I heard a cracking sound behind me like someone had snapped a twig under his or her foot. I whirled around. What I saw stole any words that I might have said. I fell to my knees. I had trouble believing my eyes, but the expression _I won't believe it until I see it_ existed for a reason. Standing a ways away, staring at me, was Ur. At first I thought I was seeing her daughter, Ultear, but, after closer inspection, my previous guardian and teacher's features became clear. It seemed impossible that she could be here, but maybe somehow she had survived Galuna Island. I had to know.

I got shakily to my feet, afraid that she would disappear in front of my eyes, "U-Ur?" She turned and walked away. I ran after her, but no matter how far I ran she was always just out of reach. It didn't matter. I was going to catch her.

**(LUCY'S POV)**

I cursed loudly as I tripped over a tree root. I had unwittingly stuck out my hands to catch myself as I fell only to plunge them into a pricker bush. I sat up and slowly drew them out. Lines of scarlet blood trickled down my palms. I picked out the large thorns one by one with my teeth, spitting them onto the forest floor. As I got to my feet I realized I had a pretty bad cut on my knee. _Wonderful._

I took a step forward just to collapse to my knees again. My ankle was probably sprained. When I tried to readjust it, a crippling pain shot up my leg. I winced and dragged myself over to a tree. I propped myself up against it and tilted my head back, closing my eyes. I could only hope _someone_ would find me before _something_ did. My eyes snapped open.

"Wait, what am I doing?" I asked myself. I wasn't just a wimpy little girl any more. I selected a key.

"Open, Gate of the Clock Constellation! Horologeum!" He popped up with a cloud of smoke.

"How may I help you, Lucy?" he asked. I smiled. Horologeum was probably my most polite spirit.

"I think I hurt my ankle pretty badly. Would you mind carrying me?" I asked him.

"As you wish. Where did you have in mind?"

"Just keep walking. I'm trying to find my friends." I dragged myself inside of him, shutting his glass door behind me, careful not to touch my ankle. Whenever I was inside Horologeum I had a strange sense of security...curling up in a clock will do that for you. I felt my shoulders relax as he started walking. Sitting inside of him, I was about at eyelevel with the underbrush, so it wasn't exactly a scenic ride. I sighed.

"She sighs exhaustedly. Why are you sighing, Miss?" asked Horologeum. His one annoying trait was that he would narrate me whenever we were together. Actually, that's not true. He also has a tendency to disappear right when I need him. That little tidbit about him had led to me being openly harassed by a giant, pervy monkey before. It wasn't ideal.

"Getting separated from my friends, injured, and being hungry isn't a reason to sigh?"

"If I may be so bold, Miss, I believe that there are always worse situations. For instance, it isn't raining. You could be cold. You could—" he said. It seemed like he had no intention of stopping.

"I got it," I interrupted, "Let's not make things worse by piling on as many jinxes as we can possibly think of."

"Right, Miss. I don't mean to speak out of place, but you might want to look at this," said Horologeum tentatively. I swung his door open and supported myself on one foot, rising to my full height. My brow furrowed.

Soft, cloudlike fog was drifting slowly and monotonously across the forest floor, obscuring the undergrowth completely. I looked down as it swallowed up my knees. I reached out and swung my arm through it. It swirled around my fingertips and spiraled outwards. _Great, creepy fog…what could make this situation worse? _For someone who had just scolded Horologeum for jinxing the situation, I wasn't thinking very much.

Suddenly, from what seemed like all directions, a soft melody embraced me. At first it was quiet, but it grew louder. I felt my strength leave me and I sat down. I hadn't noticed, but Horologeum had vanished. I recognized this song and the voice that sang it.

_**Golden slumbers kiss your eyes;  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep,  
pretty baby,  
do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby.**_

_**Cares you know not**_  
_**therefore sleep,**_  
_**while over you a watch I'll keep.**_  
_**Sleep,**_  
_**pretty darling,**_  
_**do not cry,**_  
_**And I will sing a lullaby.**_

I felt a tear streak down my cheek. It was my mother's sweet voice serenading me and wrapping me in memories. This was the song she would sing to me when I was young. I wrapped my arms around myself and rocked back and forth. I sobbed.

"Don't cry, child. Mama will sing for you," said my mother's voice. Warm and gentle light surrounded me. I looked up. Standing before me, glowing in the night like an angel, were my parents. My father smiled, "Hello, Lucy." His eyes were kinder than I'd ever seen them.

"Papa…Mama," more tears, "I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye." My voice choked and my vision blurred with tears.

"We're just glad you are alright," said my mother's soft voice, "But you are lost. We are here to help you…our little Lucy." Worry shone in my mother's eyes as she pointed to my left, "Go. You will be safe." She reached her hand towards me and caressed my cheek. I felt a gentle warmth surround me.

"We miss you, Lucy," she whispered to me, "Always remember, we love you more than anything in this world. Remember that forever. You are very loved, my baby, my little girl." She withdrew her hand and I reached for her. My father put his arm around her. They both smiled gently at me. I watched as their faces disappeared from my sight. Oppressive darkness fell once again. I wept and wept. I must have sobbed in that spot for an hour. I called out Horologeum again and went in the direction mom had pointed. It was the least I could do for her. I cried even once I was inside Horologeum. He was quiet. I wept until I drifted to sleep, rocked to sleep like a child inside of my clock spirit, mother's lullaby echoing in my head.

**(LAXUS'S POV) **

Strangely, walking alone in the forest was relaxing. I didn't have to listen to Natsu and Grey fighting or Lucy and Adel chatting on and on about going to an onsen. There was one thing, I noticed, that unnerved me, disrupting my oasis of tranquility. The air smelled strange. It almost felt suffocating. My Dragonslayer nose was definitely more sensitive than others, but it was still unnerving. Perhaps it was just the natural smell of the forest…or maybe there was a swamp nearby.

The darkness was probably a problem for the others, but a bit of magic could fix it for me. I waded through the undergrowth. The thorn bushes were unable to pierce my thick pants and I was glad I'd chosen to wear them today. I'd considered staying put and waiting for someone to come to me, but I figured sitting in the same place for hours would get boring pretty easily. I kept walking.

Occasionally I eyes on me. I would stop walking and do a full 360. I never saw anyone. As I walked I got the feeling that someone was watching me from the shadows again. I stopped walking, "For God's sake, come out already!" For a few seconds nothing happened, but then someone popped out of the underbrush.

"Old Man?" I couldn't comprehend why he would be here. Maybe my eyes were tricking me or exhaustion had gotten to me.

"Laxus, I've decided that you should not accompany them on this mission," said the old man. I stared at him. For someone who had asked me personally to go with the annoying bunch he sure had changed his mind quickly. The old man stared at me, his hands clasped behind his back. Something was off.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"I've just decided, now turn around and go back. They don't need a betrayer like you around," said Gramps, in a monotone voice. That stung, but my suspicious had ben confirmed. The old man never spoke about the Battle of Fairy Tail and if he was asked a question he would always give you something better than 'I've just decided'…even if it was an excuse. I stood still for a few seconds, readying myself. With deadly fast movements, I struck the old man with my magic. When the smoke cleared, there was no evidence that the old man had ever been there. All I could see was a blackened hole in the bushes.

Someone didn't want us in this forest. The old man, or whatever that was, had told me to turn back. I could only guess that there was something hidden in this forest that a wizard didn't want any random intruder to see. No wonder those fishermen were so afraid of this forest. Seeing a loved one look at you with cold, unfamiliar eyes wasn't something anyone would soon forget. I had discounted any credibility of that encounter, but hearing the old man call me a betrayer wasn't something I enjoyed. It echoed in my head, reminding me over and over of what I'd done. I grimaced and kept walking forward. I was determined to find out what was concealed underneath this tormenting forest's looming trees.

**(HAPPY'S POV)**

My voice hurt from calling out for Natsu. Being separated from him was one of the worst things in the world…it was up there with Lucy's angry tantrums. I shivered. My wings were tired, but I kept flying. I had flown up above the treetops earlier and was able to see the edge of the forest, but that wouldn't help me find Natsu. I'd seen a clearing and was headed there now. After I dove back beneath the canopy, I stayed relatively high up. I didn't want to risk any unwanted encounters with any monsters.

"Time to take a break," I mumbled to myself. I landed on a tree and felt relief flood through my wings. I drooped down over the branch, my tail swinging back and forth.

"Happy," said a voice. I pushed myself upright. I listened, but all I heard was silence. I drooped back down. My stomach grumbled loudly…maybe that's what I had heard earlier. I frowned and looked at my tummy. I didn't know my belly could talk.

"Happy," said a recognizable voice. That definitely didn't come from my stomach. I looked up. Floating in front of me was Carla.

"Carla? What are you doing here?" I asked. She pulled out a fish. It had a red bow rapped around it.

"Would you like to share it with me, Happy?" she asked, winking. My eyes went wide and I dove off of the tree after her. Natsu could wait.

**(ADEL'S POV)**

When I was little the darkness was terrifying. I guess being alone for your entire—known—life had an effect on what I was afraid of. Right then I was more afraid of being left alone by everyone than the monsters that I was imagining lurking in the dark shadows of the forest. _Jeez, I'm pathetic_. I had obviously grown over-attached to my new Fairy Tail family. I would find them and everything would be fine. _Sonofabitch forest_, I thought to myself. _Sonofabitch roots, sonofabitch fisherman, sonofabitch darkness, sonofabitch trees. _I could have kept going, but scolded myself in my head for being such a little, immature kid.

Stumbling through the dark pissed me off more than made me afraid. Tripping every few feet, sometimes over my own feet, was extremely annoying. I fell on my face once and held myself back from punching the damn root.

"Lucy, Natsu, Erza!" I called out. Nothing. I really wished Natsu would pop out of the bushes and shout, "Scared you!" Of course, beating the shit out of him would follow that immediately, but I still wanted it to happen. I really wished Natsu would show up and I could take shelter in his arms…_wait what, I don't want that_. I pushed the thought out of my head. I had a weird feeling that I wasn't going to see him for a while.

"Lost, are we?" said a voice from above. I looked up. A guy was weirdly perched in a tree. I was too tired and cold to try and figure out how the hell he'd managed to get up there. He leaped down and I stumbled backwards. Normal people couldn't do that without injuring themselves somehow, but he seemed relatively unscathed.

"I guess you could say that," I replied. He had shaggy black hair that fell over one eye. In what little moonlight shone through the canopy, it shimmered. It reminded me of a raven's feather, hints of all the colors in the rainbow showing up and disappearing just as quickly. Pale skin disappeared under his ominous black cloak. He smiled, but his eyes were cold. I could tell he didn't have any intention of helping me get out of this cursed forest or find my friends.

"Care to tell me how a little girl like you got in this forest?" he asked me, stepping uncomfortably close. He lifted and hand and took a stray lock of my hair in between his fingers. My body went rigid. I couldn't move. He laughed menacingly and whispered in my ear, "Actually, don't bother answering that question. I don't really care." He traced my bare shoulder with his cold finger as he circled around me. I mentally cursed Lucy for having such skimpy clothes. The man's cold glare didn't leave me as he stalked around me. I wanted to lash out and punch him in the gut…hard…but I couldn't even twitch a finger. He brushed my ponytail to one side and kissed my shoulder. His lips were cold and left a disgusting wet mark on my skin.

"I've been looking for you," he said, caressing the nape of my neck. He had circled back in front of me and his dark eyes were staring into mine.

"At first I didn't recognize you. You've grown into quite the woman, haven't you?" I tried to say, "Get off me, you nasty bastard," but it came out more like _geominabadur_. He raised his dark eyebrows and muttered, "Oh, I forgot." I felt a weird release in my mouth.

"Who the hell are you? Let me go, I'll kick your a—"

"That's enough of that, now. I thought you might have something important to say, but I guess I was wrong. I must admit that I'm a bit offended you don't remember me. It's inconsequential, though. I figured you would at least ask about that little dragon. What was it again? Silinean?" A weird dread rose in my chest, but I didn't know why. The man took my chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Well, it was a nice chat, but I must bid you farewell now…you see I can't let you live," he said. His hand slipped down to my neck. Suddenly I could move. His grip on my throat tightened and he lifted me off the ground. My feet dangled and I writhed.

"What's the point of keeping up that idiotic magic? Besides, I like to see them squirm," he said, his eyes filled with terrifying delight. I felt a strange heat in my palms. As if I were on autopilot I reached out and pressed my hand to his chest. I felt the energy leave my palm.

He howled in pain and dropped me to the floor. He fell to his hands and knees, panting and scratching at his chest. I yanked my knife out of my boot and plunged it into his side. He screamed and fell on his side.

"Sorry, buddy, but I don't feel like dying today," I said triumphantly. I turned and left him there, bleeding and panting. I wiped my knife on a leaf and the leaf came away red with his blood. I sheathed it on my thigh and walked away. I guess I had been a little merciless, but something about him had told me: _stab this guy; he needs a bit of an ego reduction_. I usually listened to those sorts of gut reactions. Despite this, I felt sort of guilty that I...you know...stabbed the dude in the rib cage and then galavanted off into the sunset.

_This forest is possibly making me mentally unstable, but, hey…I couldn't have asked for a better way to get my frustration out. _

**(ERZA'S POV)**

Moonlight gently shone down on the silver of my sword. I had been polishing my variety of weapons for what I'm sure had been hours. I sighed having polished the last of my weapons thoroughly. I could see my face reflected in it. I looked tired. I propped my arms up on my knees and rested my head on them. I had decided to stay put instead of wandering around aimlessly. Theoretically, one of my companions would find me faster that way. I'd given it some though, but now it seemed almost idiotic to be sitting here waiting. Despite the darkness, I could see moderately well through my artificial eye.

I wanted to get up and start walking, but I didn't. Instead I simply sat there. I had some pretty incredible endurance and sheer willpower; sitting in the same place for days wasn't a problem. I still had our supplies. That was another reason I hadn't moved. I figured it would be practically impossible to bring my cart through the thick forest. People always said I brought a lot of things with me. They said that I shouldn't bring the stage props from our brief, shining debut in the theatre, but I couldn't live without those things. I briefly considered doing a short play myself right there and then, but thought better of it. I didn't feel like attracting monsters with my melodious singing voice.

I sighed. Just because I had high endurance didn't mean that I didn't get bored after a couple hours of sitting. I heard a snapping sound followed by a rustling sound. I stood up immediately, my legs a bit stiff from sitting for so long. I clutched my blade in my hand, listening intently for a hint at where I should be wary. The sound came again and someone came out of the bushes. I lunged forward instinctively, my red hair flying around me, and held the tip of my blade at the person's throat.

I stared at his face for a few seconds before recognition seized me. I dropped my sword to my side and let it disappear. I was still close to his face. I stared at the tattoo that decorated the space under and above his eye.

"Erza?" he said disbelievingly. His blue hair was brushed to his side. He looked just as I remembered him. "What are you doing here, Erza?"

I snapped past the shock, "I was on a job and my friends and I were separated when we came into this forest." _What are you doing here, Jellal?_

"Who else is here?" he demanded.

"Why?"

"At the center of this forest is a bog that emits a strange aero toxin that causes hallucinations. I cast a spell on it that would drive any and all intruders away. If you get too close to the bog and inhale the aero toxin, you'll hallucinate and be driven the other way. We need to find your friends."

"Would you mind telling me why you cast a spell on the swamp? And wouldn't you get hallucinations if you went to your guild's location?" I asked.

"I don't see the harm in telling you. It's because that's where my guild is located. We aren't exactly a legal guild. I didn't want anyone intruding. I'm immune because of this." I frowned as he pulled out what looked like a little round pill. It was green "Eat it," he said to me. I looked at him skeptically, but didn't argue. I'd come to trust Jellal. I ate it. It was tasteless, which was good. I half expected it to taste of swamp. He gave me his hand, "Erza." Fondness filled his voice for the first time since I'd run into him. The cold façade had slipped away. I took his hand. "Let's go find your friends."


	10. Chapter 10: Jellal

**(JELLAL'S POV)**

Seeing her standing there, eyes shining and scarlet hair flying around her face, was hard to believe. At first I thought that living in this forest of insanity had finally gotten to me. The forest either shows you a deep desire or your greatest fear. I suppose I thought that Erza was a vision caused by the swamp…by my own spell. When I realized she was real, a strange dread rose in my chest along with an immense longing.

I had managed to say goodbye to her last time and I hadn't intended to see her again. All that time ago, I'd decided to lock my feelings away. I had thought that they could only hurt her, that if I were to love her I would taint her. Seeing her staring at me in all her dangerous yet beautiful glory, I can't say that my heart didn't waver. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let go. My memories haunt me, acting like an impenetrable wall between us.

If I were to hold her, to give in to my longing, it would be the same as betraying her. I couldn't do that…not again. I'd hurt her so much in our lives. I wish the only memories of her that I possessed would be of those when we were young, when we only had each other in the tower…but that was not the case. I considered myself to be sullied by my corrupted past.

As she walked behind me I didn't dare turn around. Even in the dim moonlight, I would be able to see her face. She would smile at me, not understanding the war that was waging within me. Pain and love alike would possess me if I looked at her. I told her I had a fiancé, but I couldn't imagine anyone having a more significant existence in my heart than her.

"Erza, once we find your friends you should leave this forest as quickly as possible," I said to her, still not turning. I pushed aside a stray branch.

"I know," she said quietly. Her voice was plagued with pain and regret. It stung me to know that she was in pain…that I was the one that was hurting her. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to take away her pain. I knew that I could do that simply by giving in to myself, but that would be selfish of me. I don't know why, but selfishness was probably my most prominent trait. I stopped walking, closing my eyes and furrowing my eyebrows.

"Jellal, do you hate yourself?" said asked. That took me by surprise. Erza was the only one who could do that to me. I guess she understood me more than anyone else as well. I was silent.

"I don't hate you," she said quietly.

"Please, don't," I gasped. The wall between us was getting thinner, but I wanted her to hate me. I wanted her to stay away from me, to stay the same Erza I knew when I was younger. I could remember how she shone in such a dirty place. She seemed invincible and beautiful. I fell in love with her so long ago. I had changed. I'd hurt Erza so many times, hurt her deeply, and yet she still stood before me, shining and strong as ever.

"I know that you lied to me," silence, "About having a fiancé, I mean." I knew I hadn't deceived her, she was too smart for that, but I just couldn't tell her the real reason why I'd pushed her away that night.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, resuming my strong gait. I had to focus on walking, on finding her friends and escaping her, or else I would lose myself.

"Jellal!" she said loudly, "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you lying to yourself?" Ultear's voice echoed in my head: _you deserve to be happy too._ I pushed it away. _No, I don't. _

"You can't understand it, Erza. I don't want you to," I said. I hadn't turned to look at her yet. There was a moment of silence before she approached me quickly and grabbed my arm. She forced me to look at her. I resisted, but she wouldn't give in. I looked down at her face. We were standing close to each other. I could tell she wanted me to see her face. Maybe she thought it could change my mind.

Tears shone in her eyes. An expression of desperation adorned her face. She was beautiful, as beautiful as I remembered her to be. Her hair gently swayed in the wind, wrapping itself softly around her face. I stared at her, pinned down by her eyes. I couldn't move even if I wanted to. My head screamed at me: _get out, you need to get away from her, what are you doing? _My body wouldn't let me move.

She reached out slowly and put her hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes. Her touch was soft and intoxicating. I was losing myself it in.

"Jellal," she whispered. She ran her fingers along the side of my face, "Jellal."

"Erza…I can't do this," I breathed. My eyes were still closed. I didn't want to see her face.

"Jellal, open your eyes," said whispered to me. I shook my head.

"I don't want to," I whispered back. I raised my hand and placed it over hers. I was going to remove her hand, but instead left my hand on top of hers. Her hand was so small and delicate; it seemed impossible that such a hand possessed such incredible strength. Yes, she'd grown stronger since we were children together.

"Fine, don't open them," she said. I thought I would feel her hand slip out of mine, but it didn't. Instead I felt her lips on mine. They were soft and gentle. That was when I lost all control. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. Her arm circled around my neck. All of my reservations disappeared when she had kissed me. Our mouths moved in perfect synchronization. When I pulled away, out of breath, we didn't withdraw from each other. We stood holding each other, our foreheads touching and our breaths mingling.

"I love you. I have ever since we were small. I remember you touching my hair and smiling. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't ben there, Jellal," she whispered to me.

"But I hurt you," I said back. I could hear the pain ringing out in my own voice. Hurting Erza was my biggest regret.

"That wasn't you," she said sharply, "It wasn't."

"Is that how you've forgiven me? Is that how you've managed to forget that I'd hurt you?"

"Is that why you've avoided me for so long? You feel guilt?" I stayed silent.

"Jellal, do I seem hurt to you?" I looked at her. Her eyes stared at me defiantly. Her fingers gently touched my face.

"It's impossible, Erza," I said. I wanted to stay here forever, wishing that time would freeze. I pushed my longing away and started to pull away from her. She held on tightly.

"Nothing's impossible. Jellal, you're the one who's hurting. Can't you see that avoiding me and acting like this hurts me more than anything you've ever done?" My eyes went wide.

"But, I—"

"No, Jellal. I won't let you hurt anymore! I won't let you stay immersed in guilt. Answer me, Jellal. Do you love me?" My heart was practically beating out of my chest. Here she was, demanding an answer to the question I'd been avoiding for so long, and I couldn't find the courage to answer her. I just stared at her. I felt like collapsing on my knees and begging her to stop tormenting me with her words and her warm arms.

I stayed silent, unable to tell her the truth. I tried to slip out of her arms, but she wouldn't let me. She held my face in her hands and stared directly into my eyes. I grasped her wrists and stared back. She kissed my forehead, my eyes, and my mouth. Sweet, quick kisses were placed all over my face. I felt my will crumble, the wall between us crumbling with each kiss. I nodded slowly taking a lock of her scarlet hair and twisting it around my finger.

"Yes. For as long as I can remember, yes," I said. I took her face in my hands. _Yes, yes, I love you. I love you so much; I just couldn't ever say it. I pushed you away and hurt you thinking that it was better for you, that I would keep you safe from myself, but I can't anymore_. I felt a single tear slide down my cheek and she wiped it away slowly with her thumb. I kissed her. Yes, I'm a selfish person, but as I kissed her I began to understand something. Being apart from Erza had been more painful than anything I'd ever experienced. She was right; I had been hurting…but not anymore. She'd saved me, and I wasn't about to let go.

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, short and sweet chapter for all those Jerza fans out there! Thanks for reading! Any other couples you'd like to see? Just let me know! **


	11. Chapter 11: Grey

**(GREY'S POV)**

She was gone. I knew it had been too good to be true. I guess I missed my teacher too much and the hunger and exhaustion had gotten to my head. The thing that confused me was that I hadn't even been thinking about Ur…I thought I had accepted her death. I guess my subconscious disagreed with me. It had seemed so real, so much that I had sprinted after her.

Come to think of it, expending all that energy probably wasn't a good idea. I was now even more exhausted. Who knows how far I had sprinted through the thick forest, hoping against hope that what I was seeing was real…but it hadn't been. It was like some sick game that my subconscious was playing with me, torturing me to get revenge for selfishly wishing Ur was still alive.

I collapsed against a tree and covered my eyes with my arm. I slid down the tree until I was propped up against it. My energy was all but gone; I was both mentally and physically exhausted. Memories floated into my mind and I closed my eyes, watching them unfold.

_"Grey, what are you doing?"_

_"What are you talking about?" Ur eyes looked down on me fondly. She touched my hand gently, curling my fingers into a fist and placing them into my other palm._

_"Two hands, Grey. Your magic will be stronger that way," she said to me, hovering over me protectively, "You, too, Leon. Like this." She'd been training us for hours, cold slush sapping us of any hint of warmth in our bodies. Being cold didn't bother us now, Ur had made sure of that._

_"Aw, but it's more fun with one hand!" complained Leon._

_"Come on, man, just listen to the lady," I said, "She'll punish you if you don't." Ur punched me on the top of my head and I fell into the snow._

_"What was that for?" I demanded. She just smiled and winked. I pouted, looking down at the ground._

_"Ur, do you just think of us as students?" I asked._

_"Of course I do! You're my adorable little students!"_

_"That's it?" I asked, anger rising in my voice. She looked at me._

_"What else did you want?" I felt betrayed. I thought of her as my friend, my guardian, maybe even my mother. I got to my feet and sprinted away, snow crunching under my feet with each step._

_"Grey!" I heard her call. Leon called me a wimp as I ran. I felt hot tears slide down my cold cheeks. I ran and ran. I didn't want her to leave me; I didn't want her to consider me just her 'adorable little student'. I didn't want to be alone. For the first time in a long, long time, I felt a sharp longing for my parents. I curled up, leaning against a tree. It was a few minutes before I heard footsteps crunch in the snow._

_"Go away, I don't want to see you," I grumbled, tears still staining my face._

_"Grey, aren't you lonely curled up there?" she asked, her voice gentle. I buried my face deeper in my arms. I didn't want her to see my tears. She knelt down beside me and lifted my face with her hand._

_"Aw, come one. Why is my little man crying?" she asked softly, pinching my nose. I stayed silent. A few seconds passed before she kissed me on the forehead. My eyes went wide and I clapped and hand to my head where she'd kissed me. She laughed._

_"Who said I didn't love my adorable Grey and Leon?" she asked. I smiled._

_"Gross!" I said, secretly happy. I got to my feet and ran back in the direction I had come. Why had I cried again? It didn't matter because Ur was here._

I felt a weight bear down on my chest. Ur wasn't here anymore and she wouldn't come back. She was gone. I was still sitting in this forest, alone and lost.

"Grey?" said a voice. At first I thought it was still part of my memory, but then I recognized it. My eyes snapped open.

"Erza?" I asked. I wasn't sure if she was really here or not, considering my fit of insanity earlier.

"One down, five to go," said another voice from behind her. Jellal appeared and my jaw dropped.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded. My brain was imploding.

"Shut your mouth, you look like an idiot. Here, eat this," he said. I eyed the strange green thing in his palm skeptically.

"Actually, open your mouth again. That way I can toss it in and make a game of it," he said. I looked at Erza and she nodded. I snatched the thing and popped it in my mouth.

"Come on, we have to find the rest," said Jellal, "What are you waiting for, get up." I frowned and pulled myself to my feet. I stood leaning on the tree for a few seconds. I tried to take a step but my legs gave way and a dizzy spell attacked me.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath. Erza caught me quickly and put a hand to my forehead.

"You have a high fever, we need to get you some help," she said, looking to Jellal. He looked hesitant, but then gave it, "Fine." I felt like I was about to pass out, but I clung to consciousness. Jellal turned and traced a symbol on the tree, a golden trail of light glowing where his finger touched. In my hazy state I barely recognized the symbol for Crime Sorcière. The symbol disappeared into the tree, sinking into the bark and vanishing. My vision was hazy, but I could make out what looked like a path of golden trees brilliantly lighting up our way.

"Follow these, you'll find our guild at the end. Tell them that Jellal sent you and they should take care of you," he said.

"Who will?" asked Erza warily.

"The guild members."

"I thought there was only Meredy left." Jellal just looked at her.

"I'll go find your friends. Once you get to the guild you should stay there…I don't want to have to go out and find you again." He turned to leave, but Erza caught his sleeve.

"Find them quickly, alright?" I watched as he nodded and disappeared into the tree line. I looked to Erza, "What was that?" I was barely able to see her face flush before I passed out due to the fever.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

I felt a soft coolness caress my brow. My eyes felt like they were glued shut. The coolness felt strangely nice as it pressed against my forehead. It slid down my cheek, my neck, my bare chest…wait, my bare chest? I started to drift back to myself. I realized it was a hand that was touching me. Without opening my eyes my arm snapped out and grabbed the person who was touching me. I head a girl's yelp.

"You're, you're awake?" she squeaked. I opened one eye. A young girl, only about 14 or 15, was holding a damp cloth and had her hands raised as if to defend herself. She had platinum blond hair, which fell down to her shoulder in soft wisps and big, round, blue eyes.

"Who are you? Where am I? What happened?" I asked, opening the other eye, "Most importantly why am I half-naked?"

"U-um…y-you h-h-had sweat on you…s-so I wiped it off. I h-had to take your shirt off. I'm s-sorry," she stuttered. Her eyes were wide and frantic.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," I said releasing her arm. She looked relieved and her shoulders relaxed. She put the cloth into a bucket of water.

"Um, my name is Timea. You're in Crime Sorcière's medical hall. You were brought here by your friend who said that you had fainted due to a fever."

"I don't remember anything," I mumbled, sitting upright. My muscles tensed as I pulled myself into a sitting position and I realized I felt soar all over.

"Your fever was pretty bad and you've been bedridden for two days," said Timea timidly.

I turned to her, "Seriously? Two days?"

"You were probably affected by the aero toxin. It happens to people with weak constitutions…not that I think _you _have a weak constitution…obviously, I mean look at your—" She stopped herself short. I couldn't help but smile when she blushed uncontrollably.

"See something you like?" Her eyes went wide and she looked at her toes.

"So, what? Are you a doctor or something?" I asked her, changing the subject.

She seemed grateful for the change of topic, "Well, I want to be one when I get older. Right now I just help out here and there." I nodded.

"I'll be right back," she said and got to her feet. I wondered where she was going as she slipped out of the door. My shoulders slouched, but I crawled out of bed all the same, setting the scratchy blanket that covered me aside. I looked down and realized I wasn't wearing my own pants. They were an unfamiliar pair of pants. Had she changed my pants herself? I shivered…not that I wasn't used to people catching glimpses of my downstairs. I looked around the small, candlelit room. It wasn't in the best condition. A bucket sat in the corner of the room underneath a crack in the ceiling where the paint had been discolored due to water leaking through. I grimaced. This wasn't very sanitary for a medical wing…nor was it very large.

I walked across the room to examine the contents of drawer that I had been curious about. My necklace jangled as I walked across the room. I put a hand over it, glad it was still there and that it hadn't vanished mysteriously along with my pants. I tugged open the drawer and peered inside. There was a book about medicinal herbs and I picked it up and flipped through it. Pictures of different plants flitted past along with descriptions of the different herbs. A piece of paper fell out of the pages. I put the book down and bent over to pick up the paper, which I realized was a photograph.

It was a faded picture of Timea and a boy that seemed about her age. Timea looked younger than she'd seemed when I saw her. This picture was most likely old. The boy had the same platinum hair and blue eyes that she did. The door creaked open and I shoved the picture back in the drawer and slammed it shut. I struck an unsuspicious pose.

"You're looking suspicious," said Lucy. Damn, I was found out. "I'm glad you're awake. I was pretty worried." She stepped towards me and I tensed, suddenly aware that I wasn't wearing a shirt. I tried to cover myself up by crossing my arms over my chest, but it didn't really work.

"Was I really out for two days?" I asked.

"Yeah. Natsu and the rest are here, too. We were just waiting for you to wake up before we set off for Cedar again," she said, leaning against the desk next to me. She looked tired. I secretly hoped that she was tired because she had been watching over me while I was unconscious.

"Sorry…I guess," I said. She just shrugged.

"It's not like it was your fault. Besides, it was nice taking care of someone when they were sick. I've never done it before." As soon as she realized what she'd just admitted to, she turned red to the tips of her ears. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear nervously. I smiled and mentally jumped for joy. _Score. _

Lucy fiddled with her keys, "I…I haven't told anyone this, but…" Her voice broke off. She was staring at her feet.

"Luce, are you ok? Did something happen?" I asked her. She was scaring me. She seemed like she was about to cry.

She took a deep breath and looked at me. Her eyes looked glossy. "I saw my parents," she said, her eyes watering dangerously. I felt surprise take hold of me. _So I wasn't the only one who saw something in that forest_, I thought. Lucy covered her face with her hands. I reached out to her and pulled her into my arms. Hiding her face in my chest seemed like a better option than seeing her cry at first, but once I actually did it my heart started beating rapidly and I couldn't calm down.

"I just—I guess I really missed them and I didn't realize it. My mom sang to me. They told me they loved me," she said. I felt her tears drip onto my chest. I held her tighter. We stayed that way for a while, her crying into my chest. I felt like if she were in my arms, even if she was crying, she would at least feel safe.

"I saw Ur," I whispered to her, my brow furrowed in pain. Lucy looked up at me, tears still sliding down her face. I wiped them away.

"Really?" she asked. I nodded and she wrapped her arms around me. I stroked her head.

"Erza said that the swamp in the center of the forest causes hallucinations," she said softly, her tears subsiding. She still clung to me.

"That makes sense," I said, enjoying the feel of her in my arms. She nodded and sniffed.

"Are you ok now?" I asked her gently, pulling away and looking at her face. She let go of me and I felt strangely cold…I never felt cold.

She nodded and then said, "Yeah. Can we stay in here for a while? I don't want to others to see my face like this." I didn't see what the problem was—her eyes were only a little red—but I wasn't about to turn down a chance to stay in a tiny room with her.

"Sure," I said.

"Thanks…but can I ask a favor?" I nodded.

"Can you put a shirt on?"


	12. Chapter 12: Natsu

**(NATSU'S POV) (When they first arrived at Crime Sorcière)**

I'd practically had a heart attack when I saw the bruises on Adel's neck. I knew I should've been looking for her, but instead I charged after the smell of Igneel…which was a hallucination caused by swamp gases. I hated myself for being so ignorant. How could a swamp have fooled me? I knew Igneel's scent like it was my own…and yet I'd still been fooled.

"It's nothing…I just tripped!" said Adel, pushing me off of her. I tried to pull her hair off of her neck so that I could get a better look, but she avoided my hands.

"You expect me to believe you tripped?" I was still trying to grab her hair and she was relentlessly dodged, "Stay still, damnit!"

"Would you believe me if I said I was sexually harassed by some douchebag who thought it was funny to lick me?" she asked. I paused and eased off of her. I looked her up and down.

"You don't look like you were sexually harassed."

"Don't look at me like that! Also, how do you know what someone looks like after they've been sexually harassed?" I smirked jokingly and she stared at me. After a few seconds she took a step backwards, "Creep." I laughed.

My arm lashed out and flicked her hair off of her neck. I pulled her to me and ran my fingers along her neck. I was seriously worried about her. She struggled, "Ew, you really are a creep…and I thought you were kidding. Lucy! Lucy, help me…fuck, where did she go?"

"Stop struggling, you're drawing attention to us!" I scolded her, still examining her neck. Members of the Crime Sorcière guild were staring at us, not to mention Erza who was eating a piece of cake and grinning. Her look was saying: _don't mind me, I find this pretty entertaining, actually_. Adel didn't even try to ask Erza for help.

"Are you fucking with me? You're the one that started this molest-fest! Lemme go!" After a few seconds of struggling, "I'll bite you! I will!" She snapped her jaws near my arm, but I dodged.

"You know, you might be a little insane," I said, focusing on her neck.

"_You're _calling _me _insane? Help me! Molester, molester!" she called out to no one in particular. She managed to twist out of my arms for a brief moment but I grabbed her again. I wrapped my arms around her stomach holding her in place, "That was close. You're really a determined little thing aren't you?"

She growled but stopped fighting. She relaxed into my chest, "Fine. I give up."

"Really?" I asked her, my voice light a full of delight.

"No," she said. She then proceeded to stomp on my foot, elbow my gut, and draw her knife in a matter of seconds. She pressed her knife to my throat, her face inches from mine. Her breath tickled my cheeks. I blinked a few times, too stunned to react.

"I've had enough molesting for today, thank you, though," she hissed. I raised my arms in defeat.

"Right, so you were just pretending to be helpless just to stay in my arms for longer?" Her face turned bright red, but she pressed the knife against my neck.

"Whoa, please don't kill me," I squeaked quickly.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of killing you…yet. Who knows, though? I already stabbed one dude today."

"You stabbed someone?"

"Yep, right in the ribcage." She sounded proud of herself. Yeah, definitely insane.

"The same one that sexually molested you?"

She grinned, "Molestation is not an offense to take lightly."

"Right, so why are we having this conversation in this position?" She seemed to suddenly realize that she was holding a knife to my throat and that her face was in kissing range. I leaned my head forward and whispered, "You're so close I could kiss you." She turned bright red and whirled around. The bruises on her neck tainted her blush. I frowned; they weren't supposed to be there.

"I'm sorry that I let you get hurt," I said to her seriously. She turned around and looked at me.

"Yeah, well, I've had guys let me down in the past. It isn't a first," she said nonchalantly as she pulled a chair away from the table so she could sit in it. She sighed, a faraway look in her eyes.

"That so?" I asked, sitting backwards in a chair and draping my arms across the back of the chair.

"Not that you care or anything, but yeah." She crossed her legs.

"Who says I don't care," I asked. That was a really embarrassing to say and my face lit up like a light.

"You're blushing like a kid," she said.

"That's because he liiiiikes you," a voice cut in. I spun around and covered Happy's mouth.

"I really don't know what he's talking about…seriously," I said desperately. Adel nodded skeptically. _Shit, Happy, what are you going to do to make up for this? _

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

Adel's head clunked onto the bar table, her hair falling over her face, "I bored." I smiled and lifted a lock of her hair away from her face. Her light eye peeked out at me. She stared at me.

"Want to go visit Grey? Lucy went in there a few minutes ago…I bet they're doing something nasty," I said with a villainous smile. Adel grinned and picked her head up.

Her eyes gleamed, "What do you think they're doing? Do you think we could catch them doing something pervy?"

I grinned back, "Who knows…want to find out?" At the same time we slid out of our tall bar stools and landed on the floor. We glanced at each other and started off in the direction of the medical clinic where Grey was.

"You should take a picture," said Ed, the barkeep. He was cleaning a glass with a rag. We'd spent an entire hour having a conversation about different types of ethnic dances…which was weird because the only one who knew anything about ethnic dances was Ed.

"Ew, Ed…don't be a perve," said Adel.

"You're the ones who're going to go peepin'. I was just saying that if you got a picture, you could blackmail them," he said, setting the glass down and leaning on his bar.

"You just made it weird, Ed. Plus, we don't even have a camera," I said. We'd only talked for an hour and he was giving us advice on how to peep on our friends. Ed was a little over-friendly. Ed shrugged and turned to grab something off his shelf. Adel and I left him there in pursuit of a more entertaining pastime.

"He was right, though. I wish I had a camera," she whispered to me as we approached Grey's room.

"I know, right," I whispered back. We reached his door and Adel pressed her ear flat against it.

"I don't hear anything," she whispered to me. I crouched down and looked through the keyhole. I didn't see them, but then again the bed was out of my vision. I looked up and Adel was peering down at me intently.

"So, what? Do you see them?" she whispered as she crouched next to me, "Move over, I want to see." She shoved me and I fell on my ass. _Just like a delicate flower_, I thought sarcastically. I got to my feet and she looked through the hole.

"God damn…nothing," she said, getting to her feet.

"What are you doing?" asked a voice loudly. We whirled around at the same time. Timea, the girl who had been taking care of Grey with Lucy, was standing in front of us, a full bucket in her arms. If we weren't careful, our peeping plan would be foiled. Adel grabbed the bucket and I grabbed Timea, clasping a hand over her mouth. I pulled her aside. She went rigid and then slack but didn't try to get free. I realized why.

"I'm pretty sure she just fainted," I hissed. I was right. Timea was passed out in my arms.

"Shit, what do we do?" Adel looked around frantically, "Hey, look. We could hide her in that storage closet." She pointed to a tiny door on the other side of the hall. I shook my head.

"Bad idea, someone would find her," I whispered. I tossed Timea over my shoulder. She was a surprisingly light girl. Adel nodded, "Shit, you're right."

"Let's hide her in a different medical room," I said. She nodded.

"Brilliant." She put the bucket down next to the door and followed me to another room. Adel swung the door open and we saw Erza and Jellal standing face to face.

"Oh, gro—" I began. Adel covered my mouth.

"So sorry," said Adel. She pushed me back out of the room and shut the door behind us.

"Holy shit, that was awesome," she said excitedly, "That was great blackmail material!" I nodded in agreement. She took off down the hallway for the next door giggled. _Man, this girl knows how to have a little fun. If I'm not careful she'll draw on my face in my sleep. _I followed her down the hallway, Timea still hanging off my shoulder.

The next door we opened was empty. I dropped Timea on the bed, but her head hit the bed frame with a thunk. I winced.

"What are you doing, asshole?" said Adel, slapping my arm, "She's a lady. Be gentle!" Adel shoved Timea's head onto the bed.

"You're one to talk," I said under my breath. Unfortunately, she heard me.

"Shut up, molester…or should I call you _pinky_?" She narrowed her eyes, withdrawing her hand from Timea. _Oh god, anything but that_. Just as she was about to finish shoving Timea onto the bed, Timea grabbed her arm like a teddy bear.

"Fuuuu—" she hissed. I laughed out loud. She shushed me vehemently. _Sorry_, I mouthed. Adel tugged at her arm. Timea mumbled something like, "You're mine, blastoff," and held on tighter. _What the hell is blastoff?_

"Get it off!" she hissed.

"What do you want me to do? She's a lady…I can't be rough with her!" I shot back. She gave me a death glare. "Fine, I'll help…it was just to funny to let slip." I grabbed her arm and pulled with all my strength. _Damn, this kid is strong_, I thought. The kid suddenly released her hold and I lost my balance. I grabbed onto Adel on the way down, hoping to catch myself. Unfortunately, she had lost her balance too…and so we ended up on the floor.

She landed on top of me, pressing down on my chest. Her face was inches from mine, her hair brushing my cheeks. The joking mood had disappeared along with our balance. I stared at her. My gaze flicked from her dark eye to the light one. She stared back. We didn't move. The only sound was our heartbeats, and I could feel her's pounding against my own chest. My eyes went to her lips. Her proximity was driving me crazy. Happy was right, I liked her…probably more than I'd ever liked anyone. A girl who knew how to have fun, who thought and did the same things I did…she was that once-in-a-lifetime girl.

She arched her neck and our lips met. It was gentle at first, but then I deepened the kiss. I wrapped my arms around her and we slowly made our way to a semi-upright position. If you'd asked me a few minutes ago whether or not I was about to make out with Adel I'd probably have said no way…but here we were doing exactly that. I cupped her face in my hand and entangled my fingers in her hair. She wrapped her arms around my neck tightly, pressing herself against my chest. Yeah…she was the once-in-a-lifetime sort of girl.

Someone cleared their throat behind me. At first I thought the kid had woken up and was about to faint from shock, but I was wrong. I pulled away and tilted my head back. Hanging upside down from the ceiling were Grey and Lucy. I turned my head right side up again. Adel was still wrapped around me, her face bright red. She blinked.

"My, my, how the tables have turned," she said calmly.

"Fancy meeting you here!" I said after her. We laughed, still entangled with each other. _Cat's out of the bag, now!_

**Author's Note:  
This chapter was SO much fun to write! Hope you had as much fun reading it. :)**


	13. Chapter 13: Adel

**(ADEL'S POV)**

My face was probably bright red. I sat there, practically on top of Natsu, my arms still wrapped around his neck. I'm pretty sure I said something sarcastic, but I couldn't hear what it was over the sound of my heartbeat pulsing in my ears. I slowly came back to myself. _Shit, did I just kiss Natsu? _

"You two look like you're having fun," said Grey, his arms crossed. Lucy laughed.

"Well, we better be leaving you to it, huh?" she said, her voice drifting behind her as she walked down the hallway. A blush had lit up her face. I stumbled off of Natsu as Grey disappeared behind the doorframe laughing. I got to my feet and ran after them, grabbing Lucy.

"Please don't tell anyone about this! It was an accident!" I said desperately.

She nodded skeptically, "Yeah, totally an accident. That's definitely what it looked like to me."

"Fine, then I'll just have to tell everyone what I saw you and Grey doing," I said, faking my knowledge of something. _Stupid Timea, interrupting our peeping_.

Lucy blushed brilliantly and pulled me aside, "Fine, I won't tell anyone about it. But seriously, you two looked pretty into it."

I gasped and raised my hand to my mouth, my pinky extended like a lady, "Scandalous!" Lucy laughed.

"What's scandalous?" said a deep voice. I turned and twiddled my thumbs.

"Pff…I don't know what you're talking about," I said suspiciously. Laxus looked down on me, his arms crossed.

"Are you talking about you and Natsu?" he asked.

I repeated my ladylike, "Scandalous!" Laxus nodded.

"Yeah, well we all knew," said Laxus, "I think Erza even knew, which is impressive because she's pretty oblivious to those things." That caught me by surprise because I didn't even know about us until I landed smack dab on top of him. I was just caught up in the moment…it didn't mean anything. I was starting to get a little pissed of, though.

"Really? What sort of things? Like you and Cana?" I sniped, imitating his crossed arms and strong stance…even his frowny face and deep voice.

Laxus's eyes went wide, "How did you—"

"Puh-leeze. You _suck _at keeping secrets," I said, accentuating each syllable of my _please_.

I sighed, "Seriously though, Luce, it was a spur of the moment thing."

"I think you should tell that to Natsu," she said, looking behind me, "Laxus, Grey, let's go. I watched them leave and then spun around on one foot.

"Natsu," I said clasping my hands and trying to look innocent, "You know…everything that just happened…let's just forget it. Um, it's not you it's me. I'm just not ready for a relationship. I want to become a better woman, because I'm not good enough for you." I counted off all of the dumb break up lines on my fingers.

"Stop," said Natsu. His voice was harsh and it made me look up at him. "Are you trying to tell me you don't even like me a little bit?" I nodded hesitantly, started to feel small.

"Then why did you kiss me?"

"Bastard, you kissed me!"

Natsu rolled his eyes, "Seriously? We're going to argue about this now?"

I nodded, my arms akimbo, "Damn straight we are!" Natsu growled and then pinned me against the wall. My head hit the wall and I flinched.

"Ow, what are you doing?" Natsu just stared at me.

"I want to find something out," he said calmly. He kept staring at me, his face inches from mine.

"Sexual molester," I said quietly. He kept staring at me and I started to feel nervous under his gaze. _Shit, why am I feeling nervous? _I shifted from one foot to the other. I tried to look at my feet, but it didn't work. Instead I got a healthy eyeful of Natsu's chiseled chest. I averted my gaze and instead stared at his strong arms. I had to admit, Natsu was pretty good looking. He was childish on the inside, but deep down so was I. A little while earlier we were thinking of creative ways to hide an unconscious body and it had occurred to neither of us that it was strange; we were having too much fun to think thoughts like that. I suddenly became aware of his presence. _Don't blush, don't blush, don't blush…stupid face! _Too late: I felt my face ignite, hot blood rising to my head. Natsu grinned triumphantly, "So you do like me." I shook my head.

"No, I don't," I sweat dropped.

"Then why are you blushing?" I opened my mouth and closed it several times.

"Hey, Adel! We're going to go soon since Grey's recov—oh," said Erza and she froze.

I gave her a little wave, my waving range restricted due to the molester, "Sup, Erza?"

"Nothing much," she said, slowly backing away. I spotted Lucy behind her waving and mouthing: _sorry! _

"That's fun," I said as she disappeared around the corner, "Great, Natsu, just great. Now Erza thinking we're sucking on each other's faces when they aren't looking."

Natsu shot me a disgusted look, "That's nasty."

"Really? Would you prefer swapping spit? I like that one too." He grimaced and scrunched his nose, tiny lines appearing on the bridge of his nose. They were cute…_shit stop it! _I mentally pounded my head on the wall ten times and surprisingly I felt better afterwards. I hesitantly placed my hands on Natsu's strong chest and shoved him off. _I will not embrace my perverted desire to touch his abs…I will not, I will not! _I chanted this in my head like a mantra…it was a weird mantra. I left Natsu leaning on the wall. I spun around and took one last look. I noticed something that I hadn't before…he looked like a man.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

We were practically wading through the thick underbrush, on our way out of this crazy-ass forest. I was tired, but my nervousness kept me wide-awake. I glanced around, wondering if I would catch a glimpse of the creepy guy who had attacked me earlier. I touched my neck, which was still sore from him lifting me off the ground with one hand. Yeah, the dude had been a freak. On top of that, something strange had happened to me. I'd done something to him that had caused him to fall to the ground writhing in pain. I didn't want to think about it.

My mind flitted back to earlier when Natsu and I had seen Erza and Jellal together as the two walked together in front of us. They were leading the group, Jellal escorting us out of his forest. Everything that had happened in this forest had been insane, so I was glad that I was almost rid of it.

"A few miles beyond the edge of the forest is a small town. You should be able to get supplies and shelter there," said Jellal as we reached the edge of the woods. Somehow, when we were with Jellal, the forest seemed a lot smaller. I'd wandered around for ours before I'd been found, and the walk we'd just taken seemed to last only a few moments.

"Thank you for your help," said Erza, her demeanor all business. I started to wonder if we'd been hallucinating yesterday when we'd seen them together. They looked completely into each other then, but who am I to judge? My love life was pretty screwed up…if you could even call it that. I had been spacing out at the ground when I heard Lucy gasp and Laxus say calmly, "Oh, damn." I looked up and my eyes practically bugged out of my head. I had definitely not been hallucinating earlier.

Jellal was holding Erza's face in his hands and was kissing her. Lucy nudged me repeatedly and I nodded, nudging her back. Our little nudge party ended when we realized we were acting like kids. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" whispered Lucy. I nodded, "Holy shit, since when were they all lovey-dovey?" Lucy shrugged. Jellal was smiling and Erza looked flushed, two expressions I hadn't seen on either of their faces since I'd met them. I can't say it hadn't caught me by surprise…but they were pretty adorable.

Jellal whispered something in her ear and she cleared her throat. Lucy and I sighed at the same time, "Yeah, definitely adorable." A strange yet powerful expression of fondness had spread over Jellal's face. For some reason I glanced at Natsu. He was staring at me. He averted his gaze when I noticed him. I pondered why I'd looked at him until Jellal and Erza had said their goodbyes. We set off in the direction he had pointed us. I jogged to catch up to Erza along with Lucy.

"So, are you going to see him again?" I asked.

"You love him, don't you?" asked Lucy. Erza lit up red, but nodded slowly. I mentally fisted the air. _Girl talk…have I even done this before? It's sappy and kind of gross, but in a good way. _I was once again struck with how lucky I was to have joined Fairy Tail and made such great friends.

"I'll see him again…one day, I will," said Erza. She seemed a little sad and uncertain as if she didn't know when that time would be. I thumped her on the back.

"It'll be sooner than you think. If it's true love you'll find each other again…just like you found each other in that forest," I said. _Wait, since when have I become a love guru? _I pictured myself as an old man, sitting cross-legged on a floating carpet, my hands pressed together as if I were praying. I shivered. I had a really distorted picture of gurus in my brain. I had let my imagination run wild once again.

As we walked, Erza and Lucy eyed me suspiciously. "Hell to the no! My love life is too screwey to discuss. Denied," I said, raising my hand. We laughed and I felt a sense of belonging.

**Author's Note:  
****Aah! Short again! Sorry sorry! For those who are still reading my story: thanks! I've only got a few days left of winter break, so I might not be able to update as often soon. Don't worry, I won't drop it...I wouldn't do that to you guys! Thanks for reading, everyone!**


	14. Chapter 14: Kinana

**(KINANA'S POV)**

"I can't believe the Magic Council is doing this to us!" complained Ever as I set down their drinks on table. She was sitting cross-legged, leaning against Elfman.

"It's not like we don't deserve it, though," said Elfman, "What with our guild mates destroying things wherever they go."

"Don't talk badly about Natsu and the rest!" Wendy piped in.

"I think they just have a hard time controlling themselves when it comes to annihilating evil," I said quietly. Wendy wrapped her arms around me and nodded. She was a clingy kid, but I welcomed her warmth.

"I don't mean to intrude, but what is the Magic Council doing?" I asked, clasping my hands behind my back.

"Apparently they want to put all their troubles in one place. Some ex-dark wizard is going to be taken under our wing. Apparently, he's supposed to arrive today…shipped in by the Magic Council. I think they're just trying to get rid of him and dump him on us. I don't know who, but apparently we're supposed to set him straight," said Evergreen, sounding utterly annoyed.

"Kinana!" called a voice. It was Mira. "Kinana, can you come here?" I nodded and strode over to her, placing my drink tray on the bar. Mira was leaning on the bar, her pale hair pulled to one side of her neck.

"What is it?" I asked, "Did you need my help cleaning?"

"No. The Master said you should go to the medical clinic," said Mira, fiddling with a lock of her hair. I cocked my head to one side, but Mira wouldn't give me any more information. I sighed, "You always keep so many secrets from me."

Mira looked like she wanted to run away…_more secrets_. I shrugged, what was one more secret? I headed to the medical clinic. When I eased the door open, waiting inside were the Master and Porlyusica. I peeked out from behind the door.

"Um, hello?" I wasn't really sure why Porlyusica was here, and it worried me. They didn't notice my presence.

"I did my best, but I should have called you," said Makarov.

"I'll do what I can, but this late it may not be of any use," Porlyusica replied. They were speaking in hushed voices as if they didn't want anyone to overhear. I stepped into the room.

"Master, you called me?"

"Yes. Porlyusica is here to examine you," said the Master. I looked down to my feet. I knew something was wrong with me, but I didn't want Porlyusica's help. I reluctantly sat on one of the beds when she gestured for me to do so.

"Stay still," she said. She didn't seem like she was that interested in helping me. Maybe she didn't like me. She was hesitant to touch me, like I would contaminate her if her fingers touched my skin. She inspected my eyes, my arms, my back, my hands. I didn't know why, because my sickness hadn't shown in some of those places. It was usually my hands. I knew this, but I didn't protest. The Master was doing this so that I could get better and I wasn't about to go against the man that had saved me.

Porlyusica stepped away from me and looked to Makarov, "I can create a medicine to lessen the attacks, but I can't guarantee that it will stop them. The intervals between their occurrences will only be lengthened." The Master nodded solemnly.

"Thank you, Porlyusica," said the Master.

"I'll have it ready tomorrow," she said and left the room. I stared at the Master. He had his arms crossed and a grave look on his face.

"Master?" He looked up at the sound of my voice. The expression on his face faded into one of his usual smiles.

"You can go back to the guildhall now. I'm sure Mirajane will want your help." I nodded and slid off of the bed. I stepped outside of the door and shut it behind me. I leaned against it for a few seconds, scared of the truth that was lying hidden behind a mask of secrets. The appearance of Porlyusica had only deepened the mystery. I sighed and shoved off of the door. _I have to keep my strength…it's all I have_.

"Mira, need any help with anything?" I asked, smiling at her.

"Oh, could you take this over to the corner table?" she asked, handing me a platter of drinks. I nodded and headed in that direction. As I was walking across the guildhall, boards creaking under my feet, I heard the door open. Light from outside streamed into the room and two shadows appeared on the floor. I looked to the door. Standing there was a man, most likely from the magic council. He looked familiar.

Next to the man was someone I recognized immediately. His eye still had the scar that I had slid my fingers across so long ago. I felt my strength leave me and the platter of drinks fell from my hands. They fell with a loud clattering sound to the floor, liquid spilling out of the cups. I stared at the man. He was looking at me. Apparently me dropping a platter of glasses had gotten the attention of the whole room.

"Kinana?" Mira's voice sounded concerned. I covered my mouth with my hand. Shocked didn't even begin to describe what I was feeling. The man stepped forward, approaching me slowly. He looked like he was afraid I was about to vanish.

"Erik?" I squeaked when he got close. He nudged one of the cups on the floor with the tip of his boot. The sound of it rolling echoed through the silent guildhall. Erik reached forward with one hand and brushed a tear from my face.

"I thought you were taken," I said, my voice shaking.

"I was," was all he said. Relief flooded through me. I reached up and touched the scar over his eye. _I wanted to see you_.

"Me too," he said, placing his hand over mine. He smiled down at me. I wrapped my arms around him and he placed a hand on my head, circling the other arm tightly around my waist.

"Kinanaaaa?" questioned Mira, her voice rising with each second she stretched out the 'a'. I didn't move from his arms. "I see you know him?" I didn't say anything. It was like we were in our own world. We were finally reunited. I didn't know why, but I felt a strong bond with Erik. I didn't want to be apart from him. After I'd just gotten him back, I wanted him to stay in my arms. I wanted to stay curled up in his warm and keep him close to me.

"Your friends are staring," Erik whispered gently in my ear. I didn't particularly care, but I pulled away from him anyway. I left my hand on his chest and turned to Mira.

"He's my friend," I said confidently. Even if he was a criminal, even if he'd been evil, I wasn't going to abandon a friend. I looked around to the others. Ever's glare could have drilled holes through my head. Elfman noticed her glaring and covered her face with a big hand. He nodded to me, "Well, anyone who's your friend has got to be ours." I smiled.

"Yeah, he's going to be part of our guild now right? We don't hold grudges here," said another voice.

"I don't see why we shouldn't welcome him," said another.

Ever stood up angrily, prying Elfman's hand off of her head, "I see a problem! He's a criminal! Why _should _we welcome him?!" she demanded.

The man from the Magic Council stepped forward and I remember where I'd seen him before. He was the one who took Erik away when we had first met. "This man is now part of your guild. You may not like it, but he will stay here under direct orders from the Magic Council," said the man.

Erik leaned to me and whispered in my ear, "She really hates me." I nodded. "You should hear what she's thinking. I don't think a curse like that even exists!" I giggled. Ever's attention snapped to me.

"And why are you two so chummy?" she demanded, pointing a finger at me, "Are you a criminal too? I heard the master just picked you up and took you in! Who knows what you were doing before that?" I shrunk back. I couldn't argue with her. She had a point. I didn't even know where I came from. Erik stepped in front of me defensively.

"If you're angry take it out on me, not her," he said, shielding me.

"Ever, stop this nonsense," said Freid from behind her.

"Yeah, don't be stupid! Right, my babies?" said Bickslow. They nodded in consent. "Yeah, don't be stupid! Don't be stupid!" they chorused.

Ever raised a hand to strike me, but Erik caught it. "I thought I told you not to hurt her," he growled, anger boiling in his gaze. What looked like red mist started to seep from where Erik grasped Ever's wrist.

"No, Erik stop!" I yelled, grabbing his arm. He held on strong. "Stop, you'll be punished!" His eyes were full of anger, such that I couldn't even see the kindness that had been there when he'd looked down on me earlier. I was vaguely aware of the man from the Magic Council attempting to stop Erik, but I was too preoccupied with trying to stop him myself to pay much attention to him. "Erik! Erik, stop!" I cried out. Ever was writhing and screaming out in pain. Elfman ran to her side and attempted to break Erik's grip, but Cobra knocked him aside easily. This was not my Erik.

Suddenly I felt pain seize my chest and my throat close up. _No, not now! _My fingers started to turn a deep purple. The color spread up my arms slowly. I gasped and fell to my knees. I panted, waiting for the pain to fade away as it always did. I was lying on my side, my knees curled close to my chest. I tried to breath normally, but it was like trying to breath through a straw that was pinched closed. My body was shaking as it always did when the attacks seized me. I stared desperately up at Erik. When he looked down and saw me I saw the hatred disappear from his eyes. He released Ever ands he crumbled to the ground.

The anger in Erik's eyes had been replaced by panic. He fell to his knees and leaned over me. He looked hesitant to touch me as if it was his fault this was happening to me. _It wasn't you, _I thought to him, _this happens to me often_. I was still shaking. I felt like I was going to vomit, but I held it in. That was when Erik was yanked away from me and I felt Mira's arms circle around me. Erik looked frantic as he was pulled away from me, struggling to return to my side.

I reached for him, my discolored arm outstretched. He lunged forward, breaking free from his captives grip. He grabbed my hand. I felt my throat open up and my pain ease. I gasped for air. The violet color in my arms faded as Erik wrapped me in his arms. He rocked me back and forth and I felt safe in his arms. I took deep breaths. I was still shaking.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," he repeated over and over again as he rocked me. I reached up and touched the side of his face.

"I told you, it wasn't you. This has happened for as long as I can remember." He nodded and pressed his forehead to mine. My shivering slowly stopped as he held me. _I'm going to sleep now, _I thought, gazing up at his concerned face. Erik nodded and I closed my eyes. _Thanks for saving me_. His arms held onto me tighter as I drifted away from myself.


	15. Chapter 15: Laxus

**(LAXUS'S POV)**

The streets were bustling with life. A rainbow of colors swallowed us up as we walked through the streets of the small town. Trying to stay together was difficult with the sheer number of people that littered the streets, shoving to get a closer look. Smells from venders drifted to our noses: sweet breads chocolate called out to me as I walked. I was a bit curious about what was in the center of the streets, hidden by so many people.

"Look! There they are!" someone shouted. _Who? _

"What do you think it is?" Erza questioned. Lucy jumped up and down trying to get a good look of what was behind the barrier of people. I sighed and hoisted her up onto my shoulder. She didn't complain, but instead looked out over people heads. Grey was glaring at me.

"What? I'm taller," I said and the turned away from him. I could practically feel his evil aura emanating from him. Lucy shielded her eyes from the sun with one hand.

"Hold on, Lucy. It's a long way down," she grabbed back onto my shirt. I smirked at Grey who was fuming. It's not like I liked Lucy at all, I had Cana, but it was fun to tease Grey. He was so serious about it too, so it was ten times as fun.

Lucy gasped, "Erza…Erza you need to see this! It's a parade…but two of the performers are…oh, my god!" Erza grabbed onto a nearby lamppost and pulled herself up, scaling it with just her arms. She perched on top of the post and peered out over the crowd. I returned Lucy to ground level.

"Do you see them?" Lucy called up to Erza.

"Is—is that…" That did it. I couldn't stand the mystery anymore and appeared on one of the nearby roofs in a burst of bright lightning. Standing on one of the floats were two men. One of them had blond hair and the other dark hair. The second one had strangely sharp features. The first was doing card tricks. It seemed lame from where I was…simple slight of the hand tricks. Then the man with light hair and dark skin smiled. He threw his cards up into the air and a chorus of cheers erupted from the onlookers.

The cards fluttered around the two men and when the cards had all cleared, the men were wearing matching white suits. The first man grinned and called out to everyone, raising his deck of cards, "How about we do a little magic?" More cheers.

The second man yelled, "I'm feelin' a bit like usin' my gun. How 'bout it?" He hand a strange accent, but it seemed acquired rather than natural.

The first man nodded and threw a few cards into the air one by one. He held a single card between his middle and forefinger, "We'd like to ask for a volunteer." A chorus of shouts and raised hands filled the air, "How about you, lovely little girl?" A small child leapt up and down and was lifted up onto the float by the second man.

"Now, do you have a prize for the lucky winner of this game?" asked the first man. She girl looked puzzled for a moment and then nodded. She pulled out a thimble from her pocket. The first man smiled and carried her to the center of the stage, placing her in a prepared chair.

"Very well! Now we will compete for the princess's prize. Here are the rules. Whoever finished destroying their set of cards first will receive the honor of receiving the prize! Are you ready?" The audience erupted in yells of excitement. The first man spread a deck of cards out in each hand like a fan. He flung them into the air and they floated there. "Alright! On the count of three!" called the first man, whipping out another set of cards. The second man's arm transformed into a rifle of some sort. They were definitely wizards.

"One!" shouted the first man. "Two!" shouted the second man. "THREE!" shouted the audience. The two men took off immediately. They were very skilled. The first man sliced his cards one by one in half, shooting cards from his fingers like they were knives. The second man rapidly fired his gun, hitting the cards in the center each time. I had to admit it was interesting to watch. The girl squealed in her mock throne, bouncing up and down in excitement. The race ended almost as quickly as it had started, the second man smiling in triumph.

"Guess you just can't beat my skill, punk," said the second man. His arm morphed back into a hand and he walked over to the princess. He knelt down at her feet and bowed on one knee, "Princess, how 'bout 'dat prize?" She grinned and placed the thimble in his hand. "Thanks, toots." He picked her up and returned her to her parents. She looked like she was about to explode out of excitement. The two men bowed together.

"I'm Sho!" called the first man.

"And I'm Wallie!" shouted the second.

"Thanks for watching!" they yelled to the audience as their float moved on. The first man shot more cards into the air and they fluttered down all around the street. I reached out and grabbed on. _Sho and Walle, Wizard Entertainers, _it said in big letters across the top. A picture of the two posing together was below the words. I tossed it aside. _Man, Cana would like to meet this Sho person_. It occurred to me that Sho was a pretty ironic name for an entertainer as returned to everyone's side.

"Erza, let's stick around. Maybe you can see them after the parade ends," said Lucy. I frowned.

"What? Do you know them or something?" Adel asked. My arms were crossed over my chest like they usually were. Erza nodded.

She was smiling, "What are the chances? I think you all should go find the inn. I'll stick around for a bit." Whatever, I didn't really care whether she'd found a long lost sibling or not. It wasn't any of my business.

"You'll be ok?" asked Natsu.

"Yeah, you don't want us to stick with you?" added Grey.

"Why would I need you to do that? It's fine. I'll meet you later," she replied, "Book three rooms. Laxus, would you stay with me?"

"Why would I—" I stopped myself. She was trying to get the couples to have some alone time. I grimaced but nodded. The four of them stalked off in search of the inn. We walked along the parade route beside the float where Erza's supposed friends were.

"I don't see why it's our responsibility to be matchmakers for the kiddie couples," I grumbled, but Erza ignored me. "So, you know those guys?"

"I grew up with them," she replied. I knew very little about Erza's past. The only thing I really knew is that she grew up in the Tower of Heaven as a slave. I frowned. It didn't sound like a particularly enjoyable childhood.

"I see," I said. We walked in silence. Well, it would have been silent if it weren't for the cheering of the crowds. I didn't want to admit it, but it was a little awkward. I silently cursed the couples for making me go through this awkward moment with Erza.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

The parade had ended and the crowd dissipated. It was practically dark now, which did not help to ease my foul mood. I followed Erza reluctantly as we walked towards the float. I hung back a bit, but not so far that I wouldn't hear their conversation. The man called Sho was shuffling a deck of cards and Wallie was lounging on the side of the float. Erza walked up behind them and said, "Sho. Wallie." They turned and stared at her. Sho's cards fluttered to the ground and Wallie's strangely square mouth fell open.

"Sister?" breathed Sho. Apparently, he couldn't wrap his head around the idea that Erza was standing in front of him. He'd called her his sister, but it didn't seem like they were related.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" said Erza, smiling warmly. That was when Sho launched himself at her. He wrapped his arms around her and his eyes got glossy, "We missed you. We saw you on the lacrima during the Grand Magic Games. We were cheering for you!" Erza smiled and wrapped her arms around Sho. If he hadn't just called her sister I would have thought Erza was a player what with Jellal earlier. I locked up my imagination, not wanting to see that.

"I missed you, too. Tell me, how did you end up to be entertainers in a parade?" she asked.

Sho's eyes went wide, "You saw us?" She nodded.

"'Dis is a travelin' parade. We met 'em on the other side of Fiore an' been with 'em ever since," said Wallie. His way of speaking was even more annoying than Lucy's tiny dog spirit. I shivered as its tiny and annoying sounds drifted through my head.

"We're staying here tonight, you should come visit us," said Erza happily. I groaned and she punched me. I rubbed where she'd hit me. _That was harsh_.

"I want to, but we're leaving town tonight. We need to get to our next performance," said Sho. This time I silently rejoiced, not wanting Erza to punch me again.

Erza looked disappointed though and I felt a little bad that I'd been an asshole to her friends. "Then you should come visit Fairy Tail when you have the change," she Erza.

Sho and Wallie nodded in unison, "We will." A voice called their names and they left with heartfelt goodbyes. I honestly thought it was a bit sappy, but I didn't say anything.

"Nice friends. A little weird, but nice," I said, turning to leave the float. Erza was silent. We walked back together without another word.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

We left the colorful town behind us without even finding out its name. Apparently, we were almost to Cedar, which was a relief. Travelling with Natsu and the rest had gotten tiring. The town was disappearing behind us on the horizon when a fight broke out between Natsu and Grey.

"What are you doing, fiery bastard?" shouted Grey.

"No, what are _you _doing, cold stripper?" Natsu shouted back. They butted heads and growled at each other. I didn't even bother to determine the cause of the ruckus. I walked over to them and looked to Erza. She nodded. I slammed my fists over their heads in one quick motion. They sat on the ground holding their heads. I hadn't even used magic.

"Stop fighting, idiots," I said before turning and continuing my walk.

"That was awesome," Adel said as she walked beside me. I didn't slow down and she had to try hard to keep up.

"I want to see you fight. Badass Dragonslayer magic! It sounds awesome," she said, nudging my arm. I looked down at her. She was smiling as she brushed a lock of her violet hair away from her face.

"Yeah…but not badass enough to actually kill a dragon," I said and kept walking. That was another one of my regrets. When we'd encountered Acnologia for the first time on Tenrou Island, I hadn't been able to do anything. Hell, four Dragonslayers combined couldn't do so much as make a scratch in its scales. I didn't like to remember that. Adel caught up to me again.

"I wouldn't beat yourself up about it. I'm willing to bet dragons are pretty badass, too," she said to me. She seemed to be remembering something, but I didn't know what. She looked to be in deep concentration. I stopped walking and she snapped out of it.

"Nobody move," I said sternly. Everyone halted. "Natsu, you hear it?" I asked. I tensed.

"Yeah, I hear it," he answered.

"Something smells rank," said Adel, holding her nose. I looked at her. I didn't smell anything.

"It coming from over there," I said, "Everyone get ready. It's something big," I said. I felt my magic energy crackle around me, lightning lighting up the ground by my feet. Natsu's fists were flaming and Erza had her blade out.

"What is it?" asked Lucy nervously. I shushed her. Something stepped out of the bushes that lined the edge of the forest.

"Wait, don't hurt it!" Adel yelled. I couldn't even see what she was talking about until it approached us. It was running full speed, or rather flying. A small exceed was flying towards us. It looked like a baby. "Help!" it called out to us. Adel ran forward and grabbed the cat. That was when we heard a roar echo over the rocks. I felt the vibrations in my chest. Adel winced as if the sound hurt her. A giant monster emerged from the tree line, charging full speed towards us. I don't know what that little cat did, but it sure pissed this thing off.

It bellowed. It looked almost like a wolf, but it had clawed feet and a beak. Its powerful muscles propelled it towards us. Natsu began to charge at it and I caught up with him.

"Don't worry, I got this," I said to him as I passed him by. My magic enabled me to move faster than him. It was handy to be able to move at the speed of light. Stopped running, Natsu still a ways behind me. Dust flew up around me. I grinned. It had been a while since I'd let loose. I waited a few seconds as the monster got closer. _Three, _it was one hundred feet away. _Two, _"Laxus, what are you doing?" _One, _I took a deep breath.

I tilted my head back and a golden magic circled appeared above my head, "Roar of the LIGHTNING DRAGON!" I felt my pent up magic energy escape me as I cast the spell. Bright lightning poured from my mouth with my attack. It hit the monster square in the chest and sent it flying backwards. It slid a few feet and then came to a stop. It eased itself up and limped away, whining like a wounded puppy. I dusted off my coat and turned back towards everyone.

"Come on, man, why did you have to go and steal the glory?" demanded Natsu.

I grinned, "What? You wanted to show off in front of Newbie?" Speaking of Newbie, Adel was sitting with the small exceed on her lap, talking to it and holding it. I frowned. For someone who said they had wanted to see my magic she sure seemed distracted.

"He's so cute!" she said, petting his head. He swiped at her.

"I'm not cute! Stop petting me!" said the kitten.

"You sure have some guts to not let me pet you after I just saved you." Last I checked I was the one who had saved the damn cat, but I didn't bother to argue.

"What's your name?" asked Adel.

"Jax."

"Where are you going after this, Jax?"

He just looked at her. "Well, if you want you could come with this…be my partner," she said. She stuck out her hand and the cat eyed it. This was the most bizarre exchange I'd ever seen.

"What's in it for me?" he asked.

"A friend," she said back. Jax hesitated but then took her hand.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Happy!" said Happy, raising his hand in salutations. Jax examined Happy.

"You look weak," he said. Happy looked offended.

"No, I'm strong!" he insisted.

"Prove it. Beat me in a fight," said Jax. I saw Adel smile, "Dude, that's an awesome idea. Your cat versus mine!" Natsu frowned.

"I think that's a bad idea. Yours is tiny! He'll be killed by Happy if they fight," said Natsu. Jax got off my lap and walked over to Natsu. He looked up at the fire breather and grinned. In the blink of an eye, Jax was suddenly looking down on Natsu and rippling with muscles. He must have been taller than me.

Adel laughed out loud, "You pissed him off!" She got to her feet and high fived Jax, "Hey, Happy, you still want to fight my partner?" Happy shook his head, obviously intimidated by the fact that he only stood as high as Jax's knee. Natsu stared.

"By tiny…I guess I meant huge, huh?" said Natsu, scratching the back of his head. Jax popped back into his small form.

"Ever since I was small my battle form has been large and my normal form small," said Jax.

"Hey, you feel like riding on my shoulder?" asked Adel. Jax looked offended. Adel shrugged, "What? It'll save you some walking. Hey, I still think you look pretty badass in that form." If you looked up 'the opposite of badass' in the dictionary, you'd find a picture of Jax. He was a lilac color and looked more like a child's toy than a cat. He was probably half the size of Happy. He was like a little kitten.

Jax flew up and landed on her shoulder, "Fine, but I refuse to squawk and say _Polly want a cracker_."

Adel cracked up, "God, you're awesome. I feel like we're going to be great friends." They walked off together. _And a new friendship is born_.

"The look on your face was hilarious," I said to Natsu.

"Shut up," he replied. I laughed. "Don't worry, Happy, buddy. One day we'll beat them," said Natsu. "Aye!"

The likelihood of that happening seemed a bit small to me.


	16. Chapter 16: Lucy Adel

**(LUCY'S POV)**

I dodged as a giant axe flew past my face. If I had moved a second later I would have probably died. I felt a warm trickle down my face. I touched my cheek and my fingers came away with blood.

"Lucy, stay close to me," said Grey, gabbing me and pulling me close to him. He put up a shield of ice around us and I felt a bit more secure. This may seem a little crazy to you, so let me explain. We'd reached Cedar, but found something we hadn't been expecting. A mini civil war had broken out in the town. Knights were swinging swords about, maces flew through the air, and…yes…axes did too. Yeah, it'd caught us by surprise, but it wasn't like we couldn't handle it. We were wizards of Fairy Tail after all!

When we'd adjusted to the sight, we prepared ourselves. On the other side of town was the forest that we needed to get to. Honestly, I'd had enough of forests for the next year or so, but there was no helping it. Erza had already charged into the fray, swinging her blade and grinning. She fit right in. Laxus was making his way through the men, sending them flying when unfortunate souls fell into his path. Grey and I followed behind him, taking advantage of the path he cleared for us. He was like Moses, except instead of water it was knights.

I looked back and saw Adel hesitating at the edge of the battlefield. She looked pissed off, like she hated that she didn't have any magic to join the fight with. She'd drawn her knife and was waiting for a chance to jump into the battle. Natsu and Happy were beside her. He was obviously waiting for her so that he could protect her while we crossed the town. Jax was beside her in battle form. He looked weirdly excited, like he couldn't wait to jump in. Then all of a sudden, all three leapt forward. They plowed through the men behind us and I grinned. _That's Adel for you! Doesn't have any magic and yet is still possesses more badassery than any of us. _

Luckily, the town wasn't that big. A few minutes of dodging swords and flying bodies was enough to get us to the other side. Grey dropped his shield, but didn't let go of me. I shrugged him off and then felt weirdly empty.

"That was exciting!" said Erza. She was smiling like a little kid. She looked like she wanted to go back to the town and rough up some more hooligans. I laughed.

"If by fun you mean life threatening and dangerous, then yeah," I said.

"I don't mean to burst your little bubble of happiness, but not all of us have armor," said Adel. She was being carried princess-style up the hill that overlooked Cedar by Jax. It was strange how quickly Jax had come to accept Adel and vice versa. Jax put her down and popped out of battle form. He landed on Adel shoulder casually.

"Let's go back!" yelled Natsu, jumping and looking excited.

"Let's not," said Laxus gruffly, "I want to finish this mission as soon as possible so that we can get back to the guild."

Natsu frowned and then nudged Laxus in the ribs with his elbow, "Miss Cana?" Laxus punched Natsu in the face and he went flying.

"But seriously, let's get this over with," said Laxus, stepping towards the forest. We all followed after him, leaving Natsu lying face first in the dirt.

**~~TIMESKIP~~**

Moral was low as we trudged through the forest. It wasn't as bad as the last one, though. Gentle light shone down through the thin canopy. There was no underbrush; just lush, green moss and wildflowers covered the forest floor. I felt strangely calm.

"This isn't so bad," I said as we walked through the woods. We'd been walking a few minutes in silence and I realized I'd just broken it. Nobody said anything. There was a calm quiet in the air, like if we talked we would disturb the blanket of peace that smothered the forest. A sweet smell drifted to my nose. I leaned down and inhaled the flowers' scents. My head started to feel a bit strange and a fuzzy, warm feeling washed over me. Something felt out of place, but I ignored it.

I heard Erza sigh, "I feel a bit…" She then proceeded to pass out. Laxus caught her and slung her over his shoulder. I heard him mumble something like, "Pain in the ass." I crouched down and touched one of the flowers. It was a light pink color with red specks on its petals. I plucked it from the earth and handed it to Grey. He smiled. That's when something unexpected happened. My mind was fuzzy and I wasn't even sure what my body was doing. I'd lost control and wrapped myself around him. I felt like screaming and running away from the pervert, maybe committing some act of violence before that, but I couldn't move my body. I mentally screamed as I stood on my tiptoes and kissed Grey. It wasn't a peck on the lips, either; it was a full-on make out session right then and there in the woods.

**(ADEL'S POV)**

My mouth dropped as I watched Lucy and Grey suck on each other's faces. I knew they were into each other, but I didn't think that would lead to them dropping what they were doing and making out like crazy. Apparently, they couldn't wait until they were able to find a room.

"Uh, Luce. Now's not really the time," I said, tapping her on the shoulder. She didn't disconnect her face from Grey's. She didn't even look at me. I tapped her again. Either she was ignoring me or she was a zombie…and I'm pretty sure zombies don't make out spontaneously. I turned to Laxus who still had Erza propped up on his shoulder. I shot him a look that said: _what the hell? _He just shrugged.

"Adel," I heard a voice behind me say. I shivered and turned, "N-Natsu?" He tackled me and we fell to the ground. I pushed his face away with my hand, but he was stronger than me. He overpowered me and forced a kiss on me.

"Laxus! Laxus help me!" I said, turning my head out of Natsu's kissing range, "Natsu will be seriously deformed if you don't! Do you want to have to carry him?" Laxus sighed and kicked Natsu in the stomach. It didn't stop Natsu though. He'd managed to stay on top of me. I shoved him off and tried to crawl away but he caught me.

"Air! Air, Natsu!" I gasped, trying to pry off his strong arms. I can't say I didn't like the feeling of his strong chest pressed against my back, but now really wasn't the time.

"What the hell is going on?" I shouted. I didn't want to hurt Natsu, though, so I restrained myself from unsheathing my knife. I knew that Natsu wouldn't do this if he was his normal self. He was too shy. Plus, there's this thing called common sense that Natsu had a little of…however miniscule that 'little' was. I twisted out of his grip and slapped him across the face…hard. He stumbled backward and fell on his ass. I was breathing hard. As my adrenaline wore off I realized that my palms had that strange buzzing feeling again.

Natsu blinked a few times and his eyes began to focus, "Did—did you just slap me?"

My jaw dropped, "Yeah, and with good reason!"

"She's right, you looked like you were about to rape her," Laxus cut in.

"Shut up, Laxus," I said, raising my hand to silence him. Natsu looked pale.

"I what?" His voice sounded shaky, "Wait, why am I on the ground?"

"You don't remember anything?" I asked. I'd had my fair share of memory loss, so I felt his pain. "Seriously, though, you took 'molester' to a whole other level…like, three seconds ago."

Natsu caught sight of Grey and Lucy who were still French kissing against a tree, "What the h—"

"Yeah. It's been a weird few minutes," I said, rubbing my temples.

"Natsu! I love you so much! You're my bestest friend in the whole world!" yelled Happy. Natsu stumbled back with the impact of his little flying friend. I raised an eyebrow. I felt something on my leg. Jax was clinging to my leg, his arms not fitting all the way around my shin, "Thanks for saving me Adel. I like you a lot, a lot!"

"Oh God! It's the attack of the cats!" I yelled, shaking my shin and trying to get Jax to fall off. It didn't work; he clung to my leg like glue. I gave up. He was rubbing his face on my leg, which was a little creepy. An image of the big Jax doing the same thing flashed through my head and I shivered. _Stupid imagination_.

I rubbed my palms together, trying to rid myself of the strange tingling feeling I had in them.

"I don't think praying will help you get the kitten off of your leg," said Laxus, stepping up beside me. I lowered my hands. Natsu was still sitting on the ground fighting off Happy, "Happy, you know I don't swing that way!" I laughed. It was strangely comical watching the two. "No, I just love you as my bestest friend!" called Happy, flying after Natsu who was now sprinting away. "It's still weird!" I heard Natsu yell as he disappeared into the distance. Laxus and I watched as he ran in circles, Happy on his heels, our heads moving in unison. We also watched as Natsu ran smack into a tree, giving Happy enough time to latch back onto Natsu.

"This might be worse than the last forest," I said, Jax still rubbing his cheek on my leg and kissing sounds drifting to my ear from where Grey and Lucy were. My hands now felt like they were buzzing, and I looked at my palms. My eyes went wide when I saw them. They looked like they were shimmering, a slight glow emanating from them. A symbol shone at the center of each palm. It was the same as the symbol on my knife. I felt sort of like fainting, but instead asked myself: _HOLY SHIT, WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH MY HANDS? _in a cool and collected manner.

I rubbed my hands on my pants, but the symbol didn't disappear. I started to panic, "L-Laxus, l-l-look!" I showed him my palm and he took my hand in his.

His eyes went wide, "That's strange."

"What is it?"

"Magic," was all he said.

"Great, I have my own personal flashlights," I said, poking my palm. Laxus shrugged. He did that a lot, it was a very annoying and noncommittal gesture. I turned to where Lucy and Grey stood.

"Lucy. I don't mean to interrupt you…I see that you're enjoying yourself, but um, do you think you could HELP ME RIGHT NOW?!" I was seriously pissed off, even though I knew that they weren't doing this intentionally. I raised my hand and touched Lucy's shoulder. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she collapsed to her knees, breathing hard.

"What, what just happened?" said Lucy. Grey wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. She yelped and pushed him away, but he was relentless. An idea occurred to be. I pressed my hand to Grey's back and he stopped attacking Lucy. He groaned.

"My head hurts," he said, leaning against the tree.

"Did we just—did we…" Lucy breathed, stumbling over her words.

I nodded, "Yeah, you just made out like pros." She put a hand to her mouth and turned bright red. I grinned.

"I'm glad you're back to normal, though. Unfortunately, I'm not," I said nonchalantly, lifting up my hands to show Lucy. She gasped and reached out to touch them. I pulled my hand back, "No, don't touch them. When I touched Natsu, you, and Grey you stopped with the touchy-feely business. I don't know what it'll do."

"That symbol is just like your knife," said Grey, peering at my hands. He looked shell shocked, like he'd just seen someone die or something. I guessed it was probably a side effect of their epic make out session.

"Adel," said a voice. I looked down and realized Jax was still latched onto me. I poked him with my pointer finger and he popped off my leg like magic…well, I guess it was magic. He blinked a few times and then curled up into a ball.

"I'm so ashamed," he said, his little voice muffled by the rest of his tiny body. He was so tiny and I wanted to pick him up and hug him to death—not literally—but I didn't, afraid of what my hands would do to him.

"Natsu!" I called. He turned his head and sauntered over having give up on avoiding Happy. I touched Happy and felt a release in my palms. I sighed out of relief and slumped back.

"I'm weirdly tired," I said, closing my eyes for a few seconds.

"Using too much magic tires you out," Natsu pointed out. When he looked at me he remembered what he'd just done and so did I. We both flushed red and looked away. Jax was still curled up in a little ball and this time I didn't hesitate to pick him up and put him on my lap. I patted his head and he peeked at me with misty eyes. He was so adorable, but I didn't dare insult him by saying that.

"It's ok," was all I said. He nodded and climbed up my hair until he got to my shoulder level. Using my hair as a ladder wasn't ideal, but I fought not to squeal due to his staggering cuteness. He perched on my shoulder and hung there.

"I'm sorry," he said, resting his tiny head on my shoulder. I turned and kissed him on the head. He looked outraged and pawed at my face. His soft, kitten paws felt nice on my face. "Don't do that! It's embarrassing!" he said, I just laughed which caused him to cling to my shirt as his body started to fall off of my shoulder. I helped him back up and he pouted.

"So, I think we've figured out that there's something strange about this place," I said. Lucy nodded and Laxus grunted in agreement. I pulled myself to my feet.

"Let's just find this guy we're looking for. What was his name again?" I asked Lucy.

"Azaiah," she answered. We all got to our feet. Jax sneezed, sending some of my hair flying. It was an adorable sneeze and I patted his head. **(A/N: Sorta like this: watch?v=oec8wl-BeJo) **

"Alright, let's find this g—" I was interrupted when I walked smack into something. I looked up to see what it was, but nothing was there. I frowned, "Did I just…"

"Just what?" asked Natsu, walking past me and smacking into something invisible. He stumbled backwards and held his nose.

"What the—" I looked up and saw that Happy was sliding down the wall after having flown right into it.

"What is this?" I asked, pressing my palm flat against the invisible wall. Suddenly, something appeared in front of me. The wall was actually part of a house.

"A spell must have been cast on it," said Laxus, moving Erza's still unconscious body to the other shoulder. Suddenly we heard a door slam and footsteps come around the house. We readied ourselves for anything, but didn't see this coming.

A short man rounded the corner of the house, gray bread reaching his feet. He practically looked like an ancient skeleton…only with an exceptional bearded face. He was waving his arms above his head, "What are you whippersnappers doin' front my house?" He then tripped on his own beard and tumbled to the ground. A foot-long, lizard like creature crawled on top of him and curled up. I could hear it snoring.

"Azaiah?" asked Grey.

He looked up, brushing some of his long hair out of his eyes. He nodded, "What are some youngin's doin' front my house? How did you break my spell?"

I turned to Natsu, "I have to say I wasn't expecting this. He might even be weirder than you."


	17. Chapter 17: Grey

**Author's Note: Hey, readers! The chapter may be short, but a lot happens. Anyways, I just wanted to thank you guys for following my story. That's pretty much it, so...read on!**

**(GREY'S POV)**

The inside of this old man's house was…unusual? Mountains of books were piled next to each other, leaning dangerously to different directions. I reached out to run my fingers along the spine of one of the books, but Azaiah slapped my hand away with a stick…don't ask me where he got said stick, it just appeared.

I watched as Laxus dropped Erza on a pile of books, the closest thing to a bed in the entire room and maybe even the entire house, (if you could even call this dump a house). She groaned and stirred in her sleep.

"I didn't know Erza was the type to pass out so easily," I said, crossing my arms and looking down on her. I felt a hand on my arm and I turned to see who it was.

The old man was staring at me, his eyes barely peeking out from behind his long hair, facial or otherwise, "No, no, no, no, no, and no." That statement alone wouldn't be creepy, but the fact that the lizard-like creature that was sitting on his shoulder nodded matter-of-factly with each of his 'no's probably made it ten times as scary.

"Those who are too greatly in love tend to lose their consciousness," said the old man, running his fingers through his beard. I watched in disgust as he picked something out of it and fed it to the lizard.

"Je-Jellal," moaned Erza in her sleep. I'm not going to say that I didn't see that coming.

"See?" questioned the old man, "She is greatly in love. Now, now, now, and now…what I'd like to know is how you succeeded in breaking my spell."

"What spell?" asked Adel, suddenly interested.

"The spell that I cast on the flowers," said the old man. He then smiled. His smile would have looked warm on a younger person, but he just looked like something you would tell kids about, saying he hid under the bed so that they would cooperate. "A _love _spell," he said and then sighed.

Adel stared, "It was you?" He nodded happily, but seemed to be spacing out.

"You know, I was thoroughly molested because of your spell."

"No, no, no, no, no, and no," he said, sounding offended. The lizard nodded again and I stared at it. "It only works if the love I mutual. Isn't that nice?"

"No, it definitely isn't!" she insisted fervently. I realized that both Lucy and I had fallen under the spell. I felt blood rush to my face and hid it behind my hair.

"None of you ate the flowers, did you? A boy from town did that once and has been chasing skirts ever since…falling in love with everyone he meets. I guess I should fix that."

"Was his name Dan?" asked Lucy. I could sense pain in her voice as if she were remembering all the awful things that had happened to her during the whole clock incident.

The old man nodded vigorously, dust flying off of his beard, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes!" The lizard nodded. "I believe it was Dan…Dan Angle or some such thing. Don't ask me why he chose to eat that flower…he was a bit strange." Azaiah started to space out again and then jumped to life, "I have to find my pot! Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes!" The lizard nodded again, its forklike tongue flicking out and back into its mouth.

"Does it…does it always do that?" I asked, pointing to the disturbing red lizard.

"What who?" said the old man, directing his gaze at me. I'd just now noticed, but one of his eyes was distinctly larger than the other. I pointed to the lizard on his shoulder.

"Ah, you mean Birdie? Yes, yes, yes, and yes," he replied. Birdie nodded.

"You named a lizard Birdie?" Natsu asked. He looked like he was about to crack up.

"No, she named herself that," the old man replied. God, he was a strange man. I guess this is what gramps had meant when he'd said 'you'll see when you meet him'. I stared Natsu down, willing him not to say anything stupid. Little did I realize that we'd recently added another idiotic person to our group who didn't think about what she was going to say before the words came popping out of her mouth.1

"Birdie? Its name is Birdie?" laughed Adel. She was grinning widely like that was the funniest thing she'd heard in her entire life. The old man stared at Adel. _Adel, what have you done? _Surprisingly, though, the man didn't look angry…more curious. Adel shrunk back, realizing what she'd said. Suddenly, Azaiah gabbed Adel's arm. She yelped, but the old man didn't let go. She froze up.

"I-I can't move. Lucy!" Adel looked frantic, like she didn't know what to do.

"Hey, what are you—" started Lucy. She stopped when she saw the same thing I did. In the center of each of Adel palms, burned into her skin, was the same symbol we'd seen on her knife. Adel gasped. The old man gasped louder, which was strange since his lungs were probably so old that they were shriveled and dry. I stopped thinking about it.

"You are Silinean's child?" asked the old man. Then, shockingly, the old man tackled Adel. They fell to the floor. I was about to jump forward to help Adel, but then I realized that the old man was _hugging _her…not trying to murder her.

"I knew it! I just knew you were real!" sobbed the man, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Get off me! I've been tackled to the ground enough times today!" yelled Adel. The old man complied, but once he was off of her Adel didn't move.

"Why are you staying on the floor?" asked Laxus. He'd been relatively quiet the entire time and for some reason had chosen to spoke just then.

"Because I can't move!" Adel looked like she would punch someone if she could move her arms. The old man gasped loudly again and released what must have been a magic hold on Adel's body. She hauled herself to her feet and glared at the old man, "What do you mean you knew I was real? And who's Silinean?" Azaiah frowned.

"Silinean is a dragon," said the man. My jaw dropped open.

"Are you trying to say that _she's _a Dragonslayer?" demanded Natsu.

"Yeah, are you trying to say that _I'm _a Dragonslayer? Seriously? All I have is my knife and my street-smarts," said Adel, crossing her arms.

"Show me your knife," said Azaiah. Adel hesitated and then pulled it out of her boot. Azaiah ran his fingers over the symbol on the hilt, the same one that had strangely shown up on Adel's palms.

"I know this symbol. It is the mark of Silinean. That is probably how you broke my spell…using your magic," muttered the old man.

"He's right, though. You do have magic," I said. I'd seen it when she'd used it on Lucy and I. My face probably turned red again just thinking about it.

"You do not know Silinean?" questioned the old man.

"I've never even heard—" Adel looked like she'd remembered something, "That guy in the forest said that name, I think."

"What guy?" asked Natsu. I could hear worry in his voice. Adel was silent, thinking. "What guy!" Natsu demanded again.

"The guy that tried to murder me when I was minding my own business. He said that he knew me," she said.

"Why did you never mention this to any of us!" yelled Lucy. Lucy then latched onto Adel, causing her to stumble backwards. Adel patted her back.

"There, there," she said, obviously making fun of Lucy's clinginess by patting her head like Lucy was a dog.

"Who was this man?" asked Azaiah.

"I don't know!" said Adel. Lucy still had her arms wrapped around Adel.

"What kind of dragon is Silinean?" Natsu asked.

"He is the dragon to control all other dragons." Silence.

"What does that even mean?"

"His specialty lies in controlling other's magical flow." I stared at Adel. Is that how she'd broken the spell on us? "He must have given you this magic."

"Does he…does he have almost translucent scales?" asked Adel, her voice shaking. She looked nervous.

"I've never seen him myself, but I've read that he does." Adel paled dramatically and fell to her knees. Tears silently slid down her face and she wrapped her arms around herself. Lucy was on it right away, "Adel, what's wrong?"

"I've seen him. It was mine…my memory," Adel choked through tears.

"What does that mean?" asked Natsu. He was kneeling beside Adel. He put a hand on her back to comfort her.

"He's dead," Adel sobbed before she threw herself into Natsu's arms. He wrapped his arms around her. Adel was shaking, "I saw him die."

"What?" Lucy sounded shocked and tears were showing in her eyes as well now. I walked over to her and took her hand. She didn't pull her hand away from mine.

"I remembered it. H-he was my father. He died to protect me," said Adel, hiccupping due to her crying. Natsu tightened his grip on her and she clung to his shirt. He stroked her hair gently. She seemed to relax, but her tears didn't stop.

"Protect you from what?" whispered Natsu.

"From the dark dragon," she breathed. That was when Adel passed out in Natsu's arms. Tears continued to slide down her face even as she slept. Natsu clutched her to his chest. A single tear slid down his face. There was a moment of silence.

"I can't imagine seeing Igneel die," he said, his voice cracking. Lucy was shaking and I wrapped my arms tightly around her. I kissed her forehead, but she didn't protest. She just buried her face in my chest.

"Dark dragon?" questioned Laxus.

"I think we know what dragon it was that killed Silinean," I said, my voice quiet.

"Acnologia," Natsu growled.


	18. Chapter 18: Adel Juvia

**A/N: Hey, readers! I just thought that I'd announce that we're gravitating towards the end of the story. The big, dramatic, climactic ending gets me excited just thinking about it. It'll be a few chapters or so before I get there, but I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am! Thanks for reading this far. Look forward to the end...I am! :) **

**PS: shoutout to Kirorokat, Belinda Valentine Bite, Ghostunderasheet, and XxLunaHeartfiliaXx for leaving me reviews. I pretty much survive on reviews...they're my sustenance...so I just wanted to thank you! :)**

**(ADEL'S POV)**

I fell asleep as soon as we got onto the train. I'm pretty sure I passed out on Lucy's lap, but I'm not really confident about where my head landed when I keeled over. My brain was fuzzy and I wasn't completely aware of what was going on around me. I knew that we'd gotten on a train because I was vaguely aware of Natsu complaining. I'm pretty sure he was doing it to try and cheer me up, but I couldn't focus on anything.

Once I'd fallen asleep, the memories I'd seen earlier kept repeating themselves. They haunted me in my sleep. I kept seeing the same thing over and over again.

_ "Silinean! Will you teach me magic even when I'm older?" I asked, climbing onto his toes and then tumbling off. _

_ "Of course, child. I'll teach you until you don't have anything more to learn," he replied softly, bringing his head down to my level. I looked into his giant eyes, fear grasping my heart. _

_ "Does that mean you won't teach me forever? Are you going to leave me?" I asked. I felt like crying, but bravely kept my tears from rolling down my cheeks. _

_ "I will always be with you. Even if I am not there, I will live in your heart…just as you will live in mine," he replied softly. I reached out and wrapped my arms around his nose. He let out a deep, rumbling laugh. _

_ "I love you, Silinean," I said to him. _

I drifted in and out of sleep. Sometimes I woke up and felt tears on my face. Sometimes I woke up and immediately went back to sleep, hoping that I wouldn't see something that would haunt me again. No matter how hard I thought about it, the memories that were coming to me seemed like they belonged to another person. They felt unfamiliar and strange. I would always fall back into a restless sleep, always haunted by more dreams. Sometimes I would get the nightmare; it was the one memory that I hated the most.

_The roaring sounds echoed in my ears and reverberated in my chest. I cowered inside of our cave, hoping against hope that the sounds would cease and that Silinean would return to me laughing as he always had. I had a sickening feeling in my stomach: a fear that I wouldn't see Silinean again. _

_ Acting on this fear, I dashed out of the cave. I'd ignored Silinean's insistence that I remain in the cave until he was finished. The pain I felt in my heart and the fear that echoed over and over in my brain were too much for me. They overpowered my senses and drowned out the urgency that Silinean had showed in his desperate words. _

_ What I saw when I turned around the wall of the cave froze me in my place. Silinean, his shining scales and slender body, was battling a monster. They butted each other, tackling each other to the ground and clawing and biting. It was a flurry of wings, claws, and teeth. Somehow their battle seemed to be happening in slow motion. They were larger than life, and so was their skirmish. Though Silinean was smaller and weaker, he was still an even match for the dark beast. I smiled. It was because he was using his magic: the magic of muting. It was the same magic he taught me every day, so I knew it well. _

_ Soon, though, a vicious attack from the black dragon had Silinean on his back. The dark dragon roared, fire spewing from its mouth. It collided with Silinean. Normally, fire would have no effect on a dragon, but this dragon's flames were different. It was dark magic. It sapped Silinean's magical energy, weakening his life force. I screamed out. The fire stopped gushing from the monster's mouth. _

_ "Adel, no!" roared Silinean, "NO! RUN!" I stumbled backwards and fell on my back. Silinean struggled to get to his feet. He wasn't able to in time. The dark dragon lunged for me, "Your little human, no? Let's see what you will do when I kill it!" I screamed again as a giant claw plunged into the ground beside me. I was frozen. The dragon loomed down close to me. I felt its hot breath all over my body. I felt like vomiting, but I couldn't move. _

_ "You are the key, so I must destroy you…just as I will kill your father," he boomed. Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. I was still able to make out the dragon's sinister eyes. They were so different from Silinean's gentle ones…the ones I had come to be so familiar with and to love. _

_ A giant column of magic collided with the dragon, knocking him away from me. I gasped for air. "Adel, come now! I won't let him hurt you!" bellowed Silinean. I reached for him, stumbling as I ran. He scooped me up in his giant, clawed hand. He held me tight. I clutched onto one of his toes. Silinean's wings started to flap slowly as he prepared to take off. _

_ "NO!" screamed the other dragon, "I won't let you escape!" He let out a terrifying roar and bright blue magic collided with Silinean. He was sent flying. I was still in his grasp. My head collided with a rock, but Silinean was able to protect the rest of my body. I felt hot blood drip down my forehead. Silinean pushed himself to his feet and took off. As we were lifted into the air by his powerful wings, I saw the dark monster lying on the ground below us. It wasn't dead, but thanks to Silinean's magic its magical energy was nearly depleted. It wasn't able to move. Its angry roars eventually faded into the distance." _

_ "Silinean, let's land. You're hurt," I said through sobs. _

_ "No, we won't land until we're far away from here. I will keep you safe, I promise," he said to me. He was panting and his voice sounded wheezy. Suddenly, we started falling from the sky. Silinean had lost his strength. We plummeted to the ground. When we collided, Silinean clutched me close to his chest. _

_ We slid a long way before we came to a stop. Silinean's arm fell to the ground and his hand opened. I crawled out, a little dizzy from where I'd hit my head. I sprinted to Silinean's face where I could look into his eyes. When I got there, his eyes were barely open, "Silinean?" Fear ringed true in my voice. I reached out and touched his face. _

_ "Thank god you're safe," he breathed. _

_ "Silinean, you'll be ok. You'll see. I'll take care of you, I promise. I'll take care of you just like you took care of me." He laughed. It wasn't his usual laugh that was full of life. His laugh was full of pain. _

_ "I'm sorry, child." _

_ "No, Silinean. You can't leave me. I don't want to be alone. Please, don't leave me!" I screamed. I clung to his face. His nostrils puffed hit air close to my face. _

_ "Adel, I will always be in your heart. I'll watch over you, I promise. Wherever I go, I'll be looking at you. Adel, I love y…" His voice drifted off and his nostrils stopped puffing. I cried. I cried and cried for what seemed like days. I huddled close to his face, unwilling to leave his side. Finally, I thought of the dark dragon that had done this to Silinean…to me. He'd taken what I loved most in this world. I'd lost Silinean. I shakily got to my feet, taking one last look at Silinean. I ran a hand along his smooth scales and wiped my tears away. My sadness was replaced my anger. I was going to kill that dragon. I was going to take everything from that dragon, just as he had taken everything from me. I hesitated, my hand still on Silinean's nose. I took a shaky breath and turned away from him, my hand sliding off of his face. I'd looked at Silinean for the last time. Now, I was going to find that dragon. _

_ I traveled to a nearby town, my head throbbing. I stumbled through the streets and collapsed in front of a kindly woman's door. The door creaked open as I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was in the woman's house. She'd nursed me back to health. I asked her what had happened to me, but all she knew was that I'd collapsed with a wound to the head in front of her house. I nodded. I had no memories anymore. All I knew was my name. I thanked her. I stepped out of her house and into the world. _

I jerked awake, sweat dripping down my face. My hair drifted down around me slowly. I was panting and shivering. I hid my face in my hands, tears streaming down my face.

"Adel?" asked a voice. I turned. Behind me was Lucy. She was looking at me with a sorrow that stung. Behind that sorrow, though, was warmth and kindness. I buried myself in her chest, tears streaming down my face.

"Sorry," I choked out.

"It's alright, Adel. We understand," said Erza. I smiled through my tears and nodded.

"We'll always be here for you, ok?" said Grey. He smiled at me. The Dragonslayers probably would have offered up a kind word, but they were both moaning in pain due to their motion sickness.

"Adel, we're your family, alright? Just know that we love you and we want you to be happy again. We want to help you," whispered Lucy. I dropped my head on her lap. She stroked my head. If these were normal circumstances I would think it was strange to do so, but now I just enjoyed the warmth and love that came with each touch of her fingers. I drifted to sleep again. This time I dreamt of my family. We were all laughing. The sun was shining down on us, warming us up. A gentle breeze rushed past us. I smiled at Natsu as he wrapped his arms around me. It was bliss.

**(JUVIA'S POV) **

The guild was quiet as it always was when what we had all affectionately dubbed 'team Natsu' wasn't here. Honestly, I'd voted for 'team Grey-sama' but no one had paid me any attention.

"I wonder when they're going to get back. They just went to Cedar Town after all. They shoulder have gotten back a long time ago," said Mira, concern showing in her voice. I nodded. I was draped across the bar table. Whenever Grey-sama wasn't here I felt this way. Empty.

"They'll be back soon. They have many powerful wizards in their group. They'll be fine," said Levy. She was sitting at the bar, drinking some eerily blue liquid. Gajeel was beside her, "Not like I care, but they're tougher than they look. Don't worry, Mira." Being with Levy had made him soft. I scoffed silently.

"I can't help but worry. Whenever they're not here I get like this," said Mira.

I nodded in agreement. "Me, too," I sighed.

"You get like that for a completely different reason, though." I nodded wistfully. It was Gajeel's turn to scoff. Suddenly, light streamed into the guildhall. Team Natsu was back. Lucy and Grey led the way, followed by Erza and Laxus. Behind them was Natsu. In his arms, unconscious, was Adel.

"Oh my god! What happened?" asked Mira. She rushed out from behind the bar and ran towards Natsu.

"I don't think it's any of my business to tell you," he said softly. He looked lovingly down at Adel. Oh, how I wanted Grey-sama to look at me like that.

"Natsu! Let me help her!" called Wendy. She rushed over and immediately started to use her magic.

"She's not hurt," said Natsu, "Not physically, anyways." Wendy stopped and stared at Natsu.

"What?" Natsu just shook his head, "Wendy, do you mind if you come to the infirmary with us? I'm going to put her in a bed." Wendy nodded and the tree went off towards the medical clinic.

"Are you alright, Laxus?" asked a worried Cana. She rushed to his side. I wondered why and then realized it was because all of their group looked exhausted and beat up.

He nodded, "I'm alright." She looked relieved and wrapped her arms around him.

"Sorry, I can't hold back," she said. He smiled and hugged her back. They stayed like that for a while and then went to sit down somewhere.

"Lucy, do you want to go to see Adel?" asked Grey-sama. Lucy nodded and stalked off exhaustedly in the direction that Natsu had carried Adel away. I walked up to Grey-sama.

"Aren't you going to go with her?" I asked shyly. He shook his head, "I think she and Natsu should be alone with Adel for now."

"Grey-sama, I—" I began. He held up his hand to stop me from talking.

"I need to talk to you, Juvia. There's something I need to tell you," he said sternly. My heart started beating quickly. Was he going to tell me he loved me? Was my dream finally coming true? I pinched myself to make sure it wasn't one of my usual hallucinations. I followed him into a separate room where no one could hear us.

He stared at me and I fidgeted under his gaze, "What is it, Grey-sama?"

He took a deep breath, "I'm in love with Lucy." At first I couldn't register what he was saying. When it finally sunk in, the full force of his words hit me as once. I felt my energy drain out of me. I'd lost. Tears poured down my cheeks. Being who I am, I cry more than most people. This was the most I'd ever cried before. A large puddle formed at my feet.

"I'm sorry," he said. I looked up at him. He seemed pained as he stared at me. He looked like he hated himself.

I shook my head, "A-all I w-want is for y-you to be h-h-happy." I choked through the words, but they weren't the truth. I didn't want him to be happy; I wanted him.

I felt his arms wrap around me and he placed a kiss on my forehead. I sobbed into his chest, clinging to him as I let go of my tears. Suddenly, I stopped crying. I pulled away from him. My feet sloshed in the puddle of my tears at my feet. He looked pained. I refused to continue this. I didn't want to hurt Grey-sama any more than I already had. Being the kind, loving, and wonderful man he is, I knew that hurting me like this was something Grey-sama deeply regretted. I sucked in a deep, shaky breath.

"Grey-sama," I said, my words coming out stronger than I felt, "I will always love you." He smiled at me and I smiled back. I turned and walked back towards the guildhall. I'm glad he didn't say anything like "I'm sorry" or "goodbye". If he had I would have started crying again. This wasn't goodbye. It was just a goodbye to my love for him. He didn't belong to me anymore. I knew that and I had to accept it.

When I stepped back into the guildhall, my eyes puffy and red, Mira ran up to me, "Juvia? What's wrong?"

I smiled, "I can't love Grey anymore." I stopped and realized something. I hadn't said Grey-sama…I'd just said Grey.

Mira looked like she was about to cry. Instead of saying anything she just wrapped her arms around me. I sunk into her embrace and felt my pain melt away. Of course, it was still there, lurking in the depths of my newly broken heart, but it lessened. I heard the door open again and looked up.

"Hello, Fairy Tail!" called a voice. Wizards from Lamia Scale were standing in the doorway. Jura, Sherry, Toby, the man Natsu called 'eyebrows', and Lyon stepped into the guildhall.

"What are you doing here?" asked Macao.

"What are you talking about? We were called here!" said Sherry indignantly.

"We humbly accepted your master's request for the guild's gathering," said Jura.

"Master called you?" I asked, walking towards them.

"Yeah!" shouted Toby excitedly, "We're here!" Lyon's eyes filled with worry when he saw me. He rushed to my side, "What's wrong?"

"Do you really care?" I asked, sniffing.

"Of course I do. I love you!" he insisted. I never really believed him.

"I…I'm giving up on Grey," I whimpered. His eyes went wide and he pulled me into his embrace. He pulled me out of everyone's line of vision.

"Are you alright? No, don't answer that. It's a stupid question. Of course you're not alright," he said. He held me tight and I didn't resist.

I felt tears come again. Something about being shown such love brought them out, "I'm sorry. I just can't stop crying."

He nodded, "It's alright. It'll hurt more if you don't cry." I smiled, tears still coming out. He leaned down and kissed my gently on the lips. I froze up. He stroked the side of my face and whispered to me, "I'll be there for you." I felt my body relax. My face probably turned bright red. I felt my heart pounding. Maybe…just maybe…one day I'd be able to forget Grey.


	19. Chapter 19: Erik Natsu

**A/N: Gah! Sorry I took so long to update, (especially to The Pouting Horse). I sort of fell off the face of the earth there. I was experiencing a baby writer's block, but I'm over it now. The big question pops up at the end of this chapter. Hopefully, you're asking yourselves _why did Lamia Scale show up at the guild? _If so, good...I'll keep you guessing until the end. Creative juices are flowing, people, and we're on our way to the end. Read on, readers. **

**(ERIK'S POV)**

If there was one thing I'd learned since joining this guild, it was that it was loud. I mean _really _loud. I mean head-splitting, cover your ears loud. This might just have been from my point of view, though, as I have a little stronger hearing than most. That particular day was louder than most, and my head was hurting more than usual. I had my hand over my ears and my head was resting on the bar table.

"Erik, are you alright?" asked the woman behind the bar. I slowly lifted my head so as not to disturb my already pounding head. I stared at the woman. "My name's Mira…I work here," she said when she noticed my questioning look. I nodded slowly, "My head hurts."

"Would you like some medicine?"

I shook my head, "I doubt it would help."

"Are you sure?"

"Thanks for offering…I guess." Ever since I'd had an episode in the guildhall, very few people had talked to me. Most of them glared at me or just avoided me completely. I was pretty much cut off from the rest of the guild. Mira nodded and walked away to clean some more cups. I put my head back on the table.

"We're here!" shouted a voice. I found myself groaning again as I turned to see who it was. _Great…more people that hate me. _Members from Blue Pegasus were strutting into the guildhall. I didn't know their names, but they were all strange.

"Ren!" called a woman with rose-colored hair.

"Don't be so clingy, Sherry!" he complained, trying to shrug her off, "You'll just make me love you more." I frowned. He was a weird guy.

"Wendy, it's nice to see you again!" said a smallish boy with pale and strangely ladylike features.

"Hi, Eve," she said shyly. He bowed and kissed her hand. _Psh. _

"Wendy, can you come here for a second!" yelled a boy who looked like he was about Wendy's age. He had dark hair and skin and was waving to Wendy. Wendy blushed even more and ran over to where the boy sat with the man I'd figured out was named Macao. Eve looked disappointed. I sighed, not wanting to think about young love. As soon as the guildhall started to crowd up with people who hated me, I moved to a dark corner and hid myself. I wasn't exactly 'Mr. Popularity' among these people.

"Erik, what are you doing back here?" asked a voice. I turned and saw Kinana looked at me worriedly. I grinned—she was another person in Fairy Tail who didn't hate me.

"Hiding myself from people who'd accept happily if someone offered them a chance to kill me," I answered calmly. She sat down beside me, "Right." I looked at her sitting there. Her violet hair was the same color I was so familiar with, except it wasn't painted across a snake's scales. I reached forward and touched a lock of her hair. Yeah, instead of cold scales, her hair was warm and lifelike. She blushed and I snatched my hand away.

"You're much warmer than I thought you'd be," I said. She smiled, "I'm not even going to ask what that means. Are you sure you don't want to go and try and, oh, I don't know, apologize to them?"

I shook my head, "I don't think a simple apology would make them forgive me. You don't understand what I did to them."

She was silent for a moment and then she grabbed my hand and yanked me out of my seat in the dark corners of the guildhall. "What are you—" I began, but I was too late. I was already out into the light of the guildhall. Everyone stared at me. Kinana was still holding my hand. She tried to let go, but I held on tight. I needed her warmth to help me get through this.

"What the hell?!" demanded a voice. I looked. It was one of Fairy Tail's most famous members. I'd fought him back when we'd tried to destroy the Caitshelter guild. Natsu Dragneel stepped forward and yelled, "What are _you _doing here?!"

I didn't say anything, just waited for the pain to come. I closed my eyes and simply waited for him to punch me. The pain didn't come. When I opened my eyes I did, indeed, see fire engulfing Natsu's fists, but he was holding his fury back. Standing in front of me, her arms out protectively, was Kinana.

"Kinana, what are you doing?" breathed Natsu, "He's evil!"

"No, he's not!" she shouted, "I won't let you hurt him!" I put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her out of Natsu's way. I got down to my knees and stared up at him, "Do your worst. I deserve it." He just stared at me, his fist still flaming. We stared at each other. I watched his eyes transition from confusion, to rage, to confliction, to resolution. He lowered his fist and I let out a breath.

"So, you regret what you've done?" he asked. I stared at him for a moment. Did I regret it? I guess I did. Then again, I'd only done all those things so that I could hear her voice. Here she was, standing with me, trying to get everyone to forgive me. I let out a practically silent laugh and looked up at him again, "Yeah…yeah, I do." Natsu took a step back and nodded. I could still tell he was angry, but at least he didn't send me flying across the room.

"Well, I, for one, won't forgive him!" screeched a voice. I looked to my right where the members from Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale stood. The woman called Sherry walked up to me, her hips swaying in her long dress. I can't imagine that would be ideal for battle purposes, but I shrugged that thought off. Now wasn't the time to think about battle. I had a feeling that would only worsen the situation. But—

My thoughts were interrupted by a slap across my face. Surprisingly, since it came from such a delicate-looking person, it stung pretty badly. I touched my face gently and looked back at her. She raised her hand to slap me again, but this time someone caught her hand. A large man whose head looked a bit like a potato had taken hold of her arm. She looked up at him defiantly, "Jura! What are you doing?" _Thanks, potato-head. _

"He regrets his sins. We should not torture him any further with thoughts of his past. Stop this, Sherry," he said. I didn't agree with him, though. I felt like I deserved torture. I slowly got to my feet so that I was about at eye level. Of course, I was much shorter than Jura, but I didn't like to think about my flaws. I nodded my head to him out of respect.

"I almost died because of him, but I don't harbor any ill-feelings towards him," said a voice. It was Erza. I grimaced. She was right. I had almost killed her. She walked up to me and stared me down. She had an incredibly strong presence, just like Jura.

"I don't think you should forgive me," I said quietly. I felt another hand slap me across the face, this time my other cheek.

"Don't think like that," she said sternly. I looked at her questioningly, holding my newly swollen cheek.

"I think that's what they call 'tough love'," said another voice. The blond girl, who I recognized as Lucy Heartfilia, walked up and tossed an arm over Erza's shoulder. I couldn't help but grin. Lucy punched me in the arm, "That was for Nirvana." _Psh_.

"Men!" called a voice. I turned to see a strangely tiny man looking at me. "He regrets his deeds…me, and my _men_ will forgive him." Each time he said 'men' he stretched the word and flared his nostrils. I took a step back. He emitted a creepy vibe.

"Listen up! He's a member of Fairy Tail now. Anyone who wants to hurt him will have to go through me!" shouted Mira. That didn't seem like much of a threat, but everyone seemed to shrink back. Maybe she was tougher than she looked. I nodded as Kinana led me away.

"See? Aren't you glad that you talked to them?" she asked, pulling me into the next room over.

"I don't know. I kind of feel like I don't deserve it," I said to her. She frowned and rapped her arms around me. At first I was surprised, but then I accepted her embrace. She was so small and delicate in my arms.

"Well, _I'm_ glad," she said. I smiled and propped my chin on her head. Her warmth was intoxicating. Her companionship was different from Cubellios's. It was gentle warmth that wrapped around me. I found myself smiling. When she pulled out of my arms she stared at my face. She smiled at me and then stood up on her tiptoes. She arched her neck and kissed me on the lips. I froze up, but the heat that came with her kiss melted me. I slowly closed my eyes and let her kiss me. Me held each other, a simple kiss binding us together. Perhaps this was my wish…to feel her warmth.

**(NATSU'S POV)**

I wasn't ecstatic that Cobra was in our guild. After everything he'd done to us, I just couldn't bring myself to forgive him completely. Seeing him kneeling there, staring up at me, had stopped me from attacking him. It seemed to me that he truly regretting what he did…but I still couldn't forgive him completely. Right at that moment, though, I easily forgot about him. My insides were churning with worry. I'd been at Adel's beside for days. I'd only come out today because Mira had said that she was worried about me. I'd figured I'd put her at ease and then return to Adel's side. Unfortunately, a few _things _kept me from doing that.

Those _things _were several guilds showing up in the hall at once. First came Quatro Cerberus. The same members we'd competed against in the Grand Magic Games stepped into our guild, repeating their same catchphrase. "Wild!" shouted one of them. "Four!" shouted the other. This time, Bacchus was the one who had shouted 'wild'.

"Cana, how have you been? You feel like going at it again?" he asked. At first I misunderstood his statement and so did Laxus who was sitting beside her.

"_What?" _he growled.

"Hell, yeah!" shouted Cana, "And this time I'm not losing!" Bacchus let out a loud whoop and sauntered towards the bar.

"What is he talking about?" hissed Laxus. Cana grinned up at him and kissed him quickly on the cheek, "Drinking!" She jogged to catch up to Bacchus. Laxus looked half-angry and half-disappointed. The rest of the Quatro Cerberus went to cheer on Bacchus.

Next came Mermaid Heel. "Erza!" squealed Milliana, flanking Kagura as always.

"Milliana!" yelled Erza. They ran towards each other and embraced. Erza nodded towards Kagura, an unspoken bond rippling between them. She then pulled Milliana aside and launched into a conversation about meeting Sho and Wallie on our journey to Cedar. Milliana looked delighted. Mermaid Heel settled down, blending in with the crowd just as the other guilds had. I couldn't help but wonder why all these guilds were gathering…and more than that, why it had to be in our guildhall.

Finally, Sabertooth arrived. Everyone was silent and stared at them. I grinned. Rogue, Rufus, Orga, and Yukino flanked Sting. I strode towards them and clapped Sting on the arm, "How've you been?"

A small smile crept over Sting's face, "Better off that I was before I became guild master."

My eyes went wide, "Seriously?" He nodded, crossing his arms smugly over his chest. The noise in the guildhall suddenly resumed, people chatting and laughing.

"Rogue," I said. He nodded. Yukino smiled at me. "You're back in the guild, I see," I said to her, smiling. She nodded shyly, her hands behind her back.

"It's good to see you, Sting…Rogue. I've got to go. I'll be seeing you…since you're invading our guild and all." They nodded and I turned to leave. I passed Erza and Milliana still chatting. I passed Bacchus and Cana who had already started their drinking contest. I passed Freid who was looking at Laxus, who was looking at Cana, who was looking at Bacchus. I shook my head and left the guildhall. I rounded a corner and passed through several doors. The last door I opened led to the medical clinic. I shut the door quietly behind me and sat down in the chair beside Adel's bed. It creaked as I rested my weight in it.

I reached forward and stroked Adel's face, pushing some of her violet hair away from her eyes. I sighed deeply. She'd been sleeping ever since we returned to the guild. It was unnerving. Sometimes I wondered if she would ever wake up, but then I scolded myself. It was a stupid fear. Suddenly, Adel's eyes fluttered open. She saw me and smiled. She stretched her arms above her head.

"Hey," was all she said. My heart leapt into my throat. I felt tears well up. "What the—why are you crying? Men don't cry!" she said, smacking me in the arm.

"I was…I was really worried about you," I said, covering my eyes with my hand. Adel gently lifted my hand from my face. She gazed at me and then leaned forward. She placed a gentle kiss on my cheek and smiled, "When I was asleep, I had lots of dreams. Most of them were horrible nightmares, but some of them…some of them were happy dreams. I dreamt about a little slice of heaven."

I looked at her. I realized that she was still holding my hand, and relished in the moment. Her eyes were looking off into the distance, like she was seeing her dreams again. Her silver eye seemed to glow in the light that streamed in through the window across the hall. Her dark eye was hidden in the shadows of her face. She was beautiful.

"I dreamed about a field. Tall grass swayed in the gentle wind, and the sun was shining down on me. It was quiet, except for the sound of the grass in the wind. I was looking up at the sky and smiling. I didn't know why, but I was smiling. I didn't have any worries. Then I felt arms wrap around me. They were your arms, Natsu. That's when I knew why I was smiling," she said, her voice was tranquil. She shifted in her bed, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear, "It was heaven because you were there." My heart started beating quickly. I felt my face heat up.

Adel leaned forward and kissed me, only this time it wasn't on the cheek. I tightened my grip on her hand. I lifted my other hand and held her face with it. She pressed her hands flat against my chest. Her kiss was gentle and soft. Her hair tickled my face. When she pulled away she whispered, "Your hands are sweaty." She giggled.

"That's not funny! I was nervous!"

She laughed again, "You're just like a little kid!" I smiled and kissed her again. This time is was a hungry kiss, heat searing throughout my body. I teased her mouth open with my tongue and deepened the kiss. When I finally pulled away she was gasping for air.

"How's that for being a little kid?" I whispered to her.

"Pretty impressive," she whispered back. I smiled and looked into her eyes, sliding my fingers along the side of her face, "How are you feeling?"

She nodded, "I'm ok. It was just a lot to take in at once." I looked down and tightened my grip on her hand. She lifted my face with two fingers, "I'm alright. Some day I'll tell you about everything." I nodded solemnly.

"Now, get out! I feel gross…how long was I sleeping? I feel like I haven't showered in days."

"That's because you were sleeping for days," I replied.

She grimaced, "Gross. I probably smell." She pushed me away with her hands. It was strange, though; the only smell I picked up from her was a sweet, flowery smell. If anyone else hadn't showered for days they'd be disgusting, but not Adel. I stood up and sighed. I turned to walk out of the room, but hesitated. On second thought, I turned around and crushed my lips to hers. She greedily accepted the kiss and then pulled away, "I told you I need to take a shower…go. Unless you want to join me." She gave me a sly smile and I turned beet red. She laughed out loud, "I was kidding, get out." I followed her orders and stepped out of the room.

Once outside, I sighed and leaned against the door. My heart was still pounding a mile a minute and my face still felt hot. I took a few deep breaths and calmed down. Had that all been a dream? No…it was real. I smiled. As I relaxed, I felt weightless. All of my worries faded away. I could never have known that when I walked back to the guildhall, the weight of worry was going to crush me.

**A/N: Suspense! Cliff hanger! Sorry for the occasional cheesiness in this chapter, but I figured I'd toss a little in there just for fun. Geehee. New chapter coming soon, I hope. :)**


	20. Chapter 20: Adel

**(ADEL'S POV)**

The cool water flowed over my body. I felt the grime and exhaustion of the last few days wash away down the drain. I sighed deeply as I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders. I pushed my hair back away from my eyes. I let the water pour down my body. I tilted my head back and enjoyed the refreshing feeling that came with the water. I reached out and turned the knob. It squeaked as I shut off the water.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. Out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror that hung on the wall. I looked tired, even though I'd slept for days. It was true, though. I was exhausted. I guess remembering that Silinean had died had taken a toll on me…but remembering something like that would affect anyone. I prided myself in how strong I looked. When I stared into my own eyes, one light and one dark, I saw defiance in the mirror. I wasn't about to let anyone get the best of me. I was tough, and this had only made me tougher.

I stepped out of the bathroom having dried myself off. I pulled my damp hair into a messy bun and let my arms drop to my sides. I took in a deep breath of air and pulled the door open. I'd been in the medical clinic enough times to know my way back to the guildhall. I was sure Natsu was waiting for me there. I smiled to myself. I'd done something crazy and then made fun of him for acting like a kid. What he didn't know was that my heart was beating as fast as his was.

The hallways I walked through were dark. The guild was strangely silent. I'd pulled on my boots before I'd left the medical clinic, so I heard my own heavy footsteps echo through the hallways. Something was strange. Where was everyone? I pushed the door to the guildhall open, but didn't round the corner. Instead, I listened.

"Thank you for coming!" I heard Makarov shout, "I've called you all here for a very important reason. First, I'd like to tell you something." I perked up, my curiosity peaking. I cursed my curious nature.

"Many years ago, there existed a dragon called Silinean." I gasped and held a hand to my mouth. Tears threatened to spill, but I didn't let them. I wasn't about to become weak because of this. "This dragon had the ability to control the flow of magic in others. He was 'the Dragon to Control All Dragons'." I heard a chorus of whispers break out.

"This dragon is now dead." That stung. "Not too long ago, the beast Acnologia desolated Tenroujima…as we well know. Acnologia has returned." _Acnologia_. The name rung in my mind. I didn't know why.

"The King of the Dragons has returned to this world after his many years of sleep. How are these two dragons related? Silinean is the only one that can bring down Acnologia." _The King of Dragons…the Dark Dragon._

"You may ask…what hope do we have, then? What hope do we have if Silinean is gone? I will tell you!" More whispers and a few occasional shouts.

"My grandson has told me about what they have discovered on their recent journey. Silinean found a child, much like Igneel, Metallicana, and Grandeeney did, and raised it. He taught that child the very same magic he used…the very same magic that is capable of destroying The Dark Dragon once and for all!" Cheers erupted from the crowd.

"It is in that girl that we place our hope. It is on that girl that we depend!" Makarov's voice rose, his incredible charisma ringing in his voice. Honestly, his words scared me. I didn't want people to depend on me or to place their hope in me. That was a lot of responsibility and a lot of guild placed on my shoulders should I fail. Such a thing was something I didn't want…but then I remembered what had happened to Silinean. I'd remembered my vow. I was going to kill the dark dragon. I was going to do it for Silinean. I took a deep, shaky breath, and stepped into the light. I let my anger burn in my eyes. I faced the crowd that my below us.

"Adel? How long have y—" I held up a hand and nodded. He must have seen my determination, because he stepped aside. I took his place. Below me was the entire guild. Members of other guilds that I didn't recognize also stood below me. I saw flashes of differently colored guild marks…ones that didn't belong to Fairy Tail. I knew why they were here.

"My name is Adel!" I called down to them, "Silinean was my father." I heard people mumble below me. "Twelve years ago he was murdered in front of my eyes by Acnologia!" More people mumbled. Some looked up at me with pity, but I ignored them. I didn't need their pity.

"On that day, as I looked at my father for the last time, I swore something to myself," I paused for affect and took a deep breath, "I swore that one day I would kill the one that took everything from me!" People shouted out. I caught sight of Lucy. Gray was holding her. She was crying, but smiling up at me. I smiled back.

"I won't hesitate to meet that monster head on. I won't hesitate to take revenge!" A few more shouts and yells. I saw Natsu below me. He was looking up at me. His strong arms were crossed over his chest and he was smirking up at me. I winked at him. "I will face Acnologia head on! I will stop him! I will destroy him! I'll do it for my father! For myself! For everyone in this alliance! And for everyone that the monster has ever hurt!" I screamed, raising my fist into the air. People from every guild cheered loudly. The guildhall reverberated with noise their cheers. Some screamed out my name. Some just shouted as loudly as they could. They raised their hands into the air and cheered with me.

It was strange. People from all over Fiore had come together. Strong wizards stood below me, cheering for me. They'd follow me to battle. I couldn't do it alone. It struck me that one common enemy united all these people. People with dark skin and light skin, people with different faces from different places, people with all different guild marks. Proud people. They all stood with me, cheering with me, supporting me. They relied on me just as I relied on them…and I wasn't going to let them down.

It was in that moment, the moment when I'd earned the roar of the wizards below me, that I thought of Silinean. I thought of his gentle eyes and words. I thought of his deep, kind laugh. I thought of how he'd loved me and how I'd loved him. I felt a single tear drip down my face, but I wiped it away. This wasn't a time for tears. I was their leader, and I needed to be strong…for myself, for them, and for Silinean.

Makarov put a hand on my back and I stepped down. The people below us were still cheering loudly. Makarov looked up at me. Their cheers were muffled now, but still reverberated in my chest. Makarov crossed his arms, "Are you ready for this?"

"I think I've been preparing myself for twelve years."

He nodded solemnly, "I wanted to say thank you. You should know that he is already nearby. When your memories returned you released a sort of pulse all over Fiore. He sensed that pulse and has come here. It wasn't the memories of your father's death that triggered it…it was the first memories you recovered."

"What?"

"When you came into my office and told me about the dark dragon…that was when you first recovered memories."

I nodded silently. I didn't say anything. The fact that the dragon had been lurking around me for that long was unnerving. A thought occurred to me, "He's already tried to kill me…in the forest." I clenched the railing tightly, my knuckles turning white. The man in the forest…the one with the dark hair…_it was Acnologia. _

"What are you talking about, Adel?"

"In the forest, when we were on our way to Cedar…a man attacked me. I thought he was just some weirdo who lurks in the forest, trying to murder random girls who get lost there…how could I be so _stupid?_ I know it was him…he'd seemed familiar. It was his smell. He smelled like Acnologia."

"You are a Dragonslayer…I would put my trust in your nose," said Makarov, stroking his chin, "That means he is capable of taking on a human form. We should be careful."

"May I ask you a question?" He nodded. "How do you expect me to kill him?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I'll be able to summon enough magical energy to incapacitate him. How do you expect me to kill him when I can't even do that?"

"It's your knife," he said, "The knife that was given to you by Silinean. It's his tooth. It contains some of his magic. It's enough magic to penetrate his scales. If you were able to do that, then you'd be able to direct his magic directly into his body. It would be enough to stop him."

"How do you know that?"

"Azaiah," he replied, "I was told that you passed out due to the physical stress after you regained your memories. Laxus found out more from the old man. This was among the information that I received from Laxus." I guess that made sense. That man was strangely knowledgeable when it came to Silinean and I. "there's one more thing you should know. If he appeared to you in his human form recently, he most likely intended to kill you without any trouble. Soon, though, he will be forced back into his dragon form. It will happen in a few days, on the night of the lunar eclipse. That is most likely when he will come for you, Adel. You must prepare yourself, mentally and physically," said Makarov.

"How do you know _that_?" I asked.

"The duration of transformation is common knowledge," he said matter-of-factly. I frowned. _Not to me! _

"I think I'm going to go and talk to everyone now," I said. Makarov nodded, "Adel, I can only say thank you." What he did next caught me by surprise. The powerful guild master, a member of the Ten Wizard Saints and probably able to swat me away like a fly, bowed to me. It was a gesture of deep respect. When he looked back up to me he nodded to me and turned and left. I stood there for a few more moments before I turned to leave myself. So many thoughts whirled around in my head as I walked down the hallway. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear before I pushed the door open wide. I stepped into the light.

**A/N: So many questions answered! Well...now you know. Yeah, I did get excited just writing her speech. I'm practically jumping around right now out of excitement. Hurry up brain, work faster! :)**


	21. Chapter 21: Lucy

**(LUCY'S POV)**

I wiped the tears from my face. Grey's hand was still on my arm, comforting me. I took a deep breath. The master's words had shocked me. Knowing that Adel was that important, that she was the only one who could defeat Acnologia, was a bit of a shock for me. I can't imagine what she must be going through right now. Remembering such a horrible thing and then being thrown into the middle of this mess…it must have been rough. What I couldn't stop thinking about, though, was how strong she looked. I saw only a single tear slide down her face, and she quickly wiped it away. Of course, I was down here bawling my eyes out and I wasn't even the one who had such a burden.

I saw a door creak open in the corner of my eye and I turned towards it. Adel peaked out from behind the door. As soon as she came out from behind it, I sprinted towards her, "Adel!" I wrapped my arms around her neck and hugged her tight.

"Ha, Lucy. Nice seeing you?" said Adel. She hugged me back gently.

I started sobbing again, "I swear, I don't always cry like this…I just, your speech, it was, I just…"

She shook her head, "It's ok, Lucy. I love you, too." I looked up at her. She was smiling down at me. A subtle sadness shone in her eyes, something that hadn't been there before, but the strength we'd seen in her speech also resided there.

"Adel!" called Natsu. He ran up to Adel.

"Hey, Natsu," she said, smiling. I saw Adel look down at her toes. I grinned, "You liiiike him." I giggled when both Adel and Natsu turned red. _God, when did I turn into Happy? _

"Can I talk to you, Adel?" asked Natsu. She nodded and they went out of my hearing range. I watched them talk. Adel looked like she was explaining something to Natsu, extravagant hand gestures and all. I saw Natsu's eyes cloud with worry. His voice rose for a moment, just long enough for me to hear him say the word _dangerous_. Adel leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. The red on his cheek appeared again as he lifted his hand and touched where she'd kissed him. She placed a hand on the side of his face. She smiled and nodded. Natsu still looked worried, but he seemed a bit relieved.

"What do you think they're talking about?" whispered a voice. I turned and saw Grey standing over me.

"How should I know?" I asked, taking a step back. I looked away from him. Ever since the forest where _that _happened, I've felt weird around Grey.

"I was just wondering. No need to be so serious about it," he said, shrugging.

"They're so together now," I said, hiding my smile.

"It's so obvious. Remember that time when we walked in on them…man I wish I had a camera then," he said, laughing quietly.

I nodded, "I know right! That was so hilarious!" I was smiling at him and when I realized that he was smiling back I turned away. My face was on fire.

"Are you ok?" asked Grey. He grabbed my chin and turned my face to look at him. Our faces were inches apart.

"I'm fine!" I complained, trying to get away from him before he realized that I was blushing…big time.

"You don't seem fine…you've been acting weird ever since—"

"Grey! Stop harassing Lucy!" ordered a voice. Erza was walking towards us, her armor clanking with each step.

"I'm not harassing her!" Grey insisted. His own face was turning red now.

"That's not what it looked like to me," said Adel, joining us. She was holding Natsu's hand…it wasn't all that discreet.

"So…are you two…" asked Erza, gesturing between them. Natsu turned red and looked away. A slight hint of pink graced Adel's cheek as she nodded happily. Erza nodded and gave a thumbs up to Adel. It was Erza's subtle way of supporting her.

"Natsu, you're acting like a kid again," Adel said, "He's so adorable."

"Don't call me adorable!" complained Natsu, turning his head. As soon as his head was in range, Adel kissed him on the cheek. Natsu clapped a hand to his cheek and tried to hide his blush. Adel grinned, "I feel like I'm tainting his innocent."

"Natsu is far from innocent," Grey mumbled. I elbowed him. He looked at me with mock-offense.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied, looking away from me.

"He liiiiiikes her," said a voice. I looked around for Happy and soon spotted him. I grinned evilly and stalked towards him. As soon as he saw me he tried to fly away, but I was already after him. I managed to grab his tail…_success_. I didn't realize that I'd jumped into the air to accomplish this task until I was falling. I looked down and screeched. Gravity got the best of me and I secretly wished that I had Happy's wings.

I landed directly in between the twin Dragonslayers of Sabertooth. I slammed my head on the corner of their table and yelled out. I lay there writhing in pain.

"L-Lucy?" said a voice. I looked up and saw Yukino staring at me, "Y-You're on…" I looked where I was lying. One leg was sprawled across Sting and my elbow was sticking into Rogue's stomach. He grunted at me. _Well, shit_.

"I didn't know you liked me that much," cooed Sting. He reached forward and pulled me onto his lap. He grinned devilishly. I tried to escape, but he was stronger than me, "Lemme go!" I heard Natsu maniacally laughing with Adel, but the rest of the guildhall was silent. _Thanks, Adel, some friend you are! I hate my life_. _Trust _me _to land directly on the new guild master of Sabertooth!_

"Let go of her!" roared a voice. I tilted my head and saw Grey walking towards us.

"But she's so cute," replied Sting. That did it. Several ice lances were launched towards us. I screamed as Sting reacted quickly. I fell to the ground, hitting my butt hard. I moaned as I saw flashes of light illuminate the dark space under the table where I'd fallen. The whole guild erupted into its usual craziness—except times ten due to the presence of other guilds in the hall. There were _that_ many more wizards to screw up my afternoon and ruin our guildhall. It's ok, though, I was used to this. I knew the standard safety precautions one would take when this happened. I was practiced. I flipped over onto my stomach and crawled out from under the table, waiting for the perfect opportunity to be able to make it to the next table. I screeched as Elfman stepped directly on my fingers. "Sorry, Lucy!" he called as he went to go beat eyebrows. Eyebrows's eyes went wide as Elfman's fist made contact, sending him flying across the room.

I seized the opportunity I saw and made a mad crawl towards the next table. _Damnit, did I start this? No…it was Happy's fault. _I cowered in my new hiding space for a few moments. I leaned back against the booth, but realized that it felt oddly warm. I whirled around in a panic and saw a pair of legs. Soon a head peeked under the table, "Hey, Lucy, how've you been?" Hibiki from Blue Pegasus was looking at me. His chocolate eyes looked at me questioningly.

"Uh, I can honestly say that I've been better," I replied, curled up into a tight ball underneath his table.

He nodded and looked like he was about to say something—maybe offer me some help—before something smacked him in the face and knocked him out of the booth. On closer inspection I realized that the projectile was, in fact, Ichiya. I grimaced as Hibiki said in surprise, "Sensei?"

I decided to give up on receiving help from him. I crawled desperately to the next table…next time I crawled, I'd make it to the bar. I'd then leap over it and cower there until either the fighting had died down, or most of the wizards in the hall were unconscious. A piece of strawberry cake landed in front of me just as I was about to make a break for the bar. _Oh, damn. Erza's lost her cake_. I heard a scream in outrage and saw Erza's armor-clad legs sprint past me. Soon, an lifeless Gajeel landed in front of me, blocking my exit. I growled. _Damnit, Gajeel! _I heard Levy squeal and saw her rush to Gajeel's side. She slapped him across the face, but he wouldn't wake up.

I growled and turned around under the table, which was difficult in such a cramped space. As soon as I poked my head out from under the table, I had to immediately crawl back into my hiding space. Jet and Droy were running past me to get to Levy, who was still trying to get Gajeel to wake up. Once they passed, I tried again to exit the table space. Unfortunately, this time, when I tried to escape, a very drunk Cana rolled by on top of an empty barrel of alcohol. Bacchus rolled after her. They were balancing on them and barreling through people, sending them flying. Maybe if I hadn't been trying to escape the table for so long I might think it looked fun, but right now I was pretty pissed off. Finally, my temper snapped. The next person to walk by was going to get it. A pair of boots showed up and stopped in front of the table. I smirked and swung my leg out. The person hit the ground with a thud.

When I realized who it was, I really regretted it. Grey was lying on the ground, blinking as if to try and ward off the shock. I crawled up to him, "Sorry, Grey. I didn't know it was you!" He turned to look at me, "Lucy? What are you doing under the table?" It surprised me that he was actually wearing clothes.

"Hiding! But not any more!" I said with a smile. I launched out from under the table. I ducked as someone's shoe sailed past my face. I screamed as Elfman's fist flew towards my face. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain, but it didn't come. I opened one eye and saw Elfman frozen solid. I exhaled. "Sorry, Lucy," squeaked Elfman. The giant chunk of ice fell over. I looked to Grey who had gotten to his feet, "Try not to get killed." With that he grabbed my arm and pulled my across the room. He picked me up and swung me to his other side when Natsu punched someone and he landed at my feet. He deflected one of Natsu's fireballs with a shield of ice and shouted at him. Quicker than expected, we arrived at the bar. I swung myself over it and landed safely behind. Leaning against the bar was Laxus, "Hey, Cheerleader."

"One time, Laxus. One time!" I shouted. He grinned. Without looking away from me he deflected a flying person with his fist. He sipped his drink and nodded. I scowled. _The benefits of being a badass_.

"HEY!" I heard someone shout. That was when I saw Adel's heavy boots land on the bar. She stood there, her arms akimbo, trying to get everyone's attention. I reached up and poked her, "This is getting a little out of hand…like, more than usual. We need to stop them."  
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" she asked, obviously annoyed.

"I don't think yelling is going to work," Grey pointed out. I nodded in consent.

Adel sighed, "I didn't want to have to do this, but I guess there's no helping it." She took a deep breath and clenched her hands into fists. I took a step back. She looked like she was getting serious. She closed her eyes. When she finally opened them, her bright eye was glowing brightly. She lifted her leg and stomped her heavy boot down on the bar table. A giant pulse of energy reverberated throughout the guildhall. It bounced off the walls, causing the air to ripple. It was suddenly silent. A few wizards fell to their knees. The stronger ones were able to stay upright, but they had to hold onto something.

"It'd be nice if we didn't beat each other to death before we get the chance to fight Acnologia, don't you think?" Adel called out. People stared at her. _I _stared at her. She had been able to take down that many wizards in one go. She was amazing. Suddenly, the room filled with cheers again. The walls of the guildhall probably shook because of the noise that was bouncing off every wall, nook, and cranny. I smiled. Adel leapt down off of the bar table. She sat down on a stool and took a shaky breath. I went to her side, "Adel?" Her face looked pale. She was sweating. Natsu was there in a second and I took a step back. I figured that he could handle it. He picked her up, bridal style. I heard Adel mumble, "Natsu, I'm fine." I knew she wasn't, though. She'd stopped a whole room full of powerful wizards after she'd just regained her strength. It was a bit of a stretch, especially after not using her magic for so long. Part of me wondered, though, whether or not she'd be able to face Acnologia in a few days. Not only physically, but mentally.

Natsu looked out over the wizards from all different guilds and shouted, "She's just recovered. She's just a little tired. Don't worry, she'll be fine." There was a suffocating silence. Natsu walked out of the room, Adel in his arms. I turned to Grey and whispered, "I'm going to go look after her. I'm sure she'll be fine, but I'm worried. Want to come?" He nodded and we followed after Natsu. I noticed Erza walking behind us and grinned. She'd become part of our team. We weren't about to leave her alone.

I came to a decision. No matter what happened in the next few days, I would stay by Adel's side. I would go with her to battle. I would fight with her and, if it came to it, I would die with her. I was prepared to do anything for Adel even though I'd met her only recently. She already felt as close to me as close can be, and I wanted to help her. I saw the same resolution on my friends' faces. I smiled. Bring it on.


	22. Chapter 22: Laxus Freed

**(LAXUS'S POV)**

Adel was outside like she always was. Ever since she'd recovered, she insisted that she go outside and practice. She was out there now, training her magic and her mind. I had to hand it to her…she was tough. For a newbie.

"Need a sparring partner?" I asked, walking up to her. My hands were in my pockets and I was looking down at her.

She stopped practicing, breathing hard and sweating, "You don't seem like the type of guy to offer." I shrugged.

"I don't mind, but you should know that I'm one of the strongest wizards in the guild."

She nodded, "Really?" I smirked. "In that case I doubt I'm ready to take you on…"

I stared at her, "Well, in a few days you're going to have to take on the giant dragon that four Dragonslayers—including me—and the rest of the guild couldn't even make a scratch on…so you'd better try."

She frowned. "Let's let her start out with something a little easier!' called a voice from behind me. I turned and saw Team Natsu walking towards me. It was Grey who had said it.

"And I suppose that would be you?" Adel called back.

He shook his head, "No. I meant Natsu."

"What?!" cried Natsu. Adel just grinned evilly, "Yeah, Natsu. Why don't you lend your _girlfriend _a hand, huh?"

He took a step back, "I-I don't want to fight you!"

Adel took a step forward, "Aw, that's so cute. Afraid you'll hurt me?" He shook his head and then turned to run. "Natsu! Don't run like a wimp! Come back here!" shouted Adel, chasing after him.

"What have you done?" I said to Grey. He just grinned, "Just what I intended to do."

I sighed. Grey laughed as Adel chased after Natsu. Lucy watched them. I figured she was secretly hoping that Adel would catch him. She looked like a cheerleader on the outside, but on the inside she was as evil as anyone in the Fairy Tail guild…possibly including Erza.

"Do you think we should stop them?" Erza asked.

I shook my head, "I think they should have a proper battle. I want to see how she uses her magic."

Erza nodded and leapt towards them. She slammed both of them to the ground and picked them up, sufficiently stopping the child's play, "How about a real battle?"

Natsu shook his head, "Denied."

Adel nodded her head, "Hell, yeah!"

Erza put them down facing each other, "Alright, then. I'd like to watch this. Good luck, Natsu…you'll need it." With the she walked away.

Natsu raised his hands, trying to calm Adel down, "No, Adel…no, I don't want to fight you."

"Since when were you such a coward?" she shot back. That got Natsu, "I'm not a coward!" He looked angry. I grinned. Adel knew just what buttons to press in order to get him to do what she wanted. She was a master at manipulation.

"Yeah? Then why aren't you going to fight me?"

"Because I don't want to hurt you!"

"How do you know it won't be _you _who's hurt?"

Natsu looked offended, "I wouldn't lose to you!" Adel grinned widely, "Then, let's find out." Adel launched herself at him, intending to strike him with her fist.

"Fine, you win, but don't complain when you're in the medical clinic…_again_!" Natsu dodged neatly. As I watched, carefully studying Adel's attacks, I noticed something. With each attack, she released a tiny bit of her magic. Each time she threw a punch towards Natsu, the air around her fist rippled with her magic energy. The air around her whole body was slightly distorted. I figured this was a strategy so as not to exhaust her magic supply too quickly.  
"It's strange watching her go up against Natsu like this. I mean, a few days she was just a regular girl, and now she has to train hard so that she can defeat Acnologia. I mean, we'll be there to help her, but still…" said Lucy, her voice trailing off.

"Didn't you say that when she regained all her memories she also regained her ability to use magic?" asked Grey.

"Yeah, she told me that when she got all of her memories back somehow she suddenly knew how to do things like…" Adel landed a heavy kick straight to Natsu's sternum. "…that…" Lucy said disbelievingly.

I laughed, "She really is tough."

Grey nodded, his arms crossed over his chest, "Tougher than me, that's for sure." I smirked and turned back towards Adel and Natsu. Newbie was holding her own against Natsu, which was impressive. However, there are still plenty of wizards that are even stronger than Natsu. _I wonder how she'd do against someone more powerful…really makes me want to fight her_.

My thoughts were interrupted when something caught my eye. When Adel attacked, Natsu became slower and slower to dodge. They'd only been fighting for a short time, and yet Adel's magic was already blocking Natsu's magical flow. If she were able to unleash her magic all at once without losing all of her energy, no wizard could beat her. Unfortunately, as I'd seen, if she were to do that she would most likely pass out. Not to mention the fact that it probably took more magic to stop a more powerful wizard than a weaker one. Still, this was impressive.

Finally, as Adel was about to land a blow, she stopped. She'd noticed that Natsu was weak moments before he fell to his knees. He was breathing hard, clearly deprived of his magical energy. Magical energy, just like blood, flows through every part of a wizard's body. I guess if that magical energy is stopped, this is what happens. Adel knelt down beside Natsu and lifted up his face. She smiled, "Told you."

Natsu's eyes were closed, but he nodded. He exhaustedly smiled, "That's good. I was worried about what would happen."

Adel's eyes glazed over, "You mean when I fight Acnologia?" Natsu nodded again, still breathing hard. Adel slung his arm over her shoulders, "I'm going to take him inside…get him something to drink. You coming?" Lucy nodded. I saw no reason to remain out here, so I followed after them.

As soon as I stepped inside I saw Cana drinking with Bacchus. I frowned. I didn't like that guy. Something about him upset me. I'm not sure what it was. Maybe it was his half-ass attitude. Maybe it was his magic. I mean, being irresponsible and getting drunk only strengthened his magic. That pissed me off. Maybe it was the fact that he was hanging around Cana. _No, don't be stupid, Laxus. You'd never be jealous of that idiot_.

"Cana!" I called, walking towards her. She turned around, her cheeks red from drinking. I didn't like this.

"Laxus, nice of you to join us. Come on, have a drink with me!" she slurred, raising a cup. With that she slipped off of her bar stool and plummeted towards the floor. I reacted instantly and caught her. She smelled like a bar, but that was to be expected.

"Why thank you," she mumbled.

"Cana, you're worse than usual," I whispered to her. Even smothered by all that alcohol, her hair still smelled like flowers. "Come on, we're going."

Her eyes went wide, "No! I can still keep going! I don't want to lose again!" I frowned again, "Well, suck it up." I held her tight and walked out of the guildhall.

"Hey, man, not cool!" Bacchus called after us as I carried Cana away. Cana's long, brown hair fell over my arm. She let her own arm slip from her side.

"How much did you drink?" I asked her.

"Just a little bit," she said, gesturing with her pointer and thumb fingers. She smiled up at me, her face still red.

I nodded, "I'm going to put you down." She nodded as I set her down on one of the benches that lined the hallway that lead from the guildhall. I brushed her hair aside, "Cana, you're good at making me worry."

"You scared I'm going to die before I beat Bacchus? Don't worry…I'll beat him one day."

For some reason I felt anger rise at his name, "That's not why I'm worried!" I realized I'd shouted it. She leaned away from me, "No need to yell…" We were quiet for a moment, and then, "But…why are you worried, then?" She looked at me expectantly. I sat down beside her and ran a hand through my hair.

"Be-because of _him_," I mumbled.

"Hmm?" She leaned closer to me, trying to hear me better. I looked at her. Her hair spilled down over her shoulders. Her eyes stared at me intently. She had a slight smile on her face. I leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. She gasped loudly and grinned, slapping a hand to her head, "What was that for?" She was acting like a little kid—which was adorable in its own way—which meant she was drunker than usual. It was probably because of her drinking war with Bacchus.

I took her face in my hand and whispered, "I'm jealous of that drunkard."

Her eyes went wide and she grabbed my face, too, "Wow! That was really hard for you to say, wasn't it? Well, don't be jealous." She tapped my nose, "Because I love _you_."

I exhaled air quickly through my nose…my version of a laugh. She smiled at it and then kissed me. She tasted sort of like alcohol. That was my Cana…always tasted like her liquor.

**(FREED'S POV)**

I sighed, my head resting on the bar table. I hadn't seen Laxus for so long, and yet he didn't even listen to me when I welcomed him back. I didn't even know where Laxus was right now. I felt lonely.

"Freed, are you daydreaming about Laxus again?" said a voice. Then a few seconds later, "Yeah! Daydreaming, daydreaming!" I lifted my head, "I would have you know that I am not doing such childish things such as _daydreaming_."

Bickslow stared at me for a few seconds and then burst out laughing, "Sure, sure you're not! Ever, Freed says he doesn't daydream about Laxus!" He stopped laughing after I subtly cast the rune for "itch" somewhere no man wants an itch. I grinned evilly as he ran away to tend to where the sun doesn't shine.

"That was evil," said a voice. I turned and saw Mira wiping the bar down.

"Yes, well, I believe he had it coming," I said, shrugging and putting my head back onto the table.

"But you were thinking about Laxus, weren't you?" she asked with a giggle. I turned my head to glare at her. "What? It's not weird. He's your close friend…it's not weird to feel like you want his attention," she said, still wiping the table.

I picked up my head, "Truly?"

She nodded, "I know I feel that way about my friends. I don't want to share them with anybody. When Kinana got so close to Erik all of a sudden, I felt a little jealous. I guess it's because I always thought of Kinana as someone whom _I _was closer to than anyone else. When I saw them together I felt a little left out."

I stared at her. She was the first one who said that to me. I smiled and kept staring at her. From what I knew of Mirajane, she was a kind and understanding person. After what happened during the battle of Fairy Tail, that became clear to me. She'd saved me from the dark place that I'd put myself in…through kindness. What she had just said to me only showed her kindness in a clearer light, "Mirajane, you are a very kind woman."

Her eyes went wide. I could have sworn I saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks. _No, Mirajane Strauss would never blush for my sake_. She smiled, "I'm not that kind!"

I leaned forward and took her hand, "I think you are underestimating your own capacity for kindheartedness, Mirajane." Her hands were warm and small in mine.

This time I was sure I saw her blush, "Thank you." She rewarded me with a warm smile. I stared at her for a few moments. She really was beautiful. Her silver hair fell down over her shoulders. Her milky-white skin and her brilliant blue eyes only made her so much more beautiful to me. I realized I was still holding her hand. I snatched my arms back and hid them under the table. I cleared my throat and stood up. My face felt hot and my heart was beating quickly. I clutched my chest, trying to figure out what this strange feeling was.

I looked up at Mirajane and found that it only got worse. I hurriedly walked out of the guildhall, only to realize that she'd followed me. _No, it'll get worse…what if I have a heart attack? _"Freed, are you alright?" asked Mirajane. Concern shone in her eyes.

Her gentle compassion was shining through again, "I'm alright."

She touched my chest to try and help me, but it did the opposite. My heart only started to beat faster at her touch. "Do you want something to drink? Do you have a fever?" she asked. She tried to put a hand to my forehead, but I dodged. I felt like if she touched me again, my heart would burst. She looked hurt, "Freed?"

The strange feeling got worse, only this time there was a hint of pain in my chest instead of the strange pressure in my chest. I clutched my chest and fell to my knees. I tried to calm myself down by taking deep breaths. It didn't work. Mirajane knelt beside me, "Freed, do you not want my help?" I was staring at the ground, but something in her voice made me look up. When I did I immediately received a new rush of feelings. My face was inches from Mirajane's. My heart was pumping fast and my face was burning. Had I always felt like this around her?

My body got stiff when she placed a gentle hand on the side of my face. My first instinct was to pull away, to stop this, but something kept me frozen there. "Freed…I-I…ever since…" she trailed off, staring at me. Something was breaking…my resistance? She took a lock of my hair and twisted it around her finger. Her face was as red as mine probably was. I had a strange urge to reach up and touch her face, but I didn't move my arm.

"Freed, I never told you, but with everything that's about to happen…and the fact that we might die in a few days, I want you to know something…" She leaned closer to me. My head told me that I should lean away from her, distance myself from her, but my body wouldn't let me. Mira whispered, "I love you." I could barely process those three words before she kissed me. She took my face in her hands, gently placing a kiss on my lips. At first I just stared forwards, shock taking the best of me, but soon I felt my eyes slowly slide shut. When she pulled away I opened my eyes again and stared at her.

I felt strange. It was a fuzzy feeling that wrapped around my chest. Mira smiled and got to her feet. She walked away slowly, her hair flowing with each step. I felt her absence hit me like a tidal wave. I felt strangely cold. I felt myself stumble to my feet and follow after her. Soon, I'd caught up with her. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards me. "Free—" she said in surprise. I cut off her words. _What am I doing? _I kissed her deeply this time, holding her close to me. _What am I doing? _I pulled away and stared at her face. _What am I doing? _I stroked the side of her face, taking in her brilliant smile. Something about her drew me in. Maybe it had been her kindness…or maybe it was her beauty. It didn't matter. She'd caught me with just a few words.

**A/N: Yay! I hope you liked the chapter. Jeez, I haven't updated for _way _too long...oh well. Leave a review if you liked it! I'll be working on the new chapter and I'll post it as soon as I can. Thanks! :)**


	23. Chapter 23: Erza

**(ERZA'S POV)**

The guildhall was full of life, yet a strange silence hung over the room. Everyone knew that the lunar eclipse was the next day. I didn't want to think about it. I guess you could say that I was afraid. Flashes of the time when we'd met Acnologia at Tenroujima pestered me. I tried to push them away, but they would leave me. Despite all this, I hid my fear. I knew I was one of the strongest wizards in the hall. I knew that if I were to show my fear, others would soon follow. I took a deep breath, calming myself down.

"Are you thinking about it?" asked a voice.

I looked up and saw Natsu standing over me, "About what?"

"Come on, Erza, I know you too well. Stabbing your cake without shoveling it into your mouth is a clear sign that you're worried about something."

I smiled slightly, "You're right."

"You're worried about tomorrow, right?" I nodded, "I'm just thinking about Adel and how she must be feeling right now."

Natsu nodded and sat down on the other side of the booth, "I'm worried about her, too, but I have faith in her. I've seen her strength…not her magical strength, which is there too, but her own strength. She pushed through all the things that have happened to her, and is still able to stand. That by itself is amazing."

I nodded. He was right. I was worried about Adel, but I didn't need to be. Our entire team would be there to help her when the time came, so I shouldn't worry…and yet, I still did. I doubted any words that anyone could say to me could stop that from being true, "Isn't it normal to worry about your friends, though?"

"I never said I wasn't worrying. I'm probably more nervous about tomorrow than Adel is…but I have faith. I have faith that tomorrow will end well. Most of all, I have hope. If I have hope that after everything that happens, no matter how dark it becomes, the sun will shine again. That is my hope." With that he stood up and walked away. I stared after him. _Hope, huh? _I thought about it for a few seconds. _Yes, Natsu, hope is surely stronger than fear. _

I decided I had to get out of the stuffy guildhall. I felt a bit strangled, but I kept my cool as I strode out of the hall. On the way out I heard Milliana ask, "Erzy-wurzy, where are you going?" I smiled at her as I walked out of the hall. Apparently, she could sense that I wanted to be alone, because she didn't follow me out the door. My smile faded as soon as I escaped the guildhall.

It was quiet except for the chirruping of cicadas. I leaned against a tree and listened to the night. I breathed in fresh air. The smell of flowers drifted towards my nose. Bark dug into my back and tall grass tickled my legs. I took in a deep breath and held it for a long time. When I finally let my breath out, surrendering to my need for oxygen, I closed my eyes.

I couldn't help but see images of Acnologia taunt me behind my eyelids. Even so, I kept my eyes shut. I felt fear close in again, biting at my heart and closing up my throat. _No, I won't be afraid. _It was all a matter of will power. I forced the horrors of Fairy Tail's past away, and soon new pictures came into my mind. They were pictures of family…of smiles and happiness. I let them calm me as I began to drift to sleep. The distant sounds of Magnolia echoed to me. I didn't pay attention to them. From my spot up high above the city, I wasn't concerned about the people that were far away. I was separated from them. I could enjoy myself here before I had to go back down to the city and accept reality. I had severed myself from my life, though I knew it was only temporary. A moment of calm before the storm that would no doubt come the following day.

I let myself slide away. Sleep took hold of me as the sun dipped below the horizon. This was my own way of preparing for the battle that was coming. I was readying myself for that sinister goliath that was coming.

**~TIMESKIP~**

Something brought me back to consciousness…back to myself. Though I was torn from my sleep, something told me that there was no danger. Warmth fell over me, subduing the cold night air. I opened my eyes slowly, sleep still weighing my eyelids down. What I saw should have surprised me, but I just smiled softly. I reached up and touched his face, "This is real, right?"

He nodded and gently kissed me. It was a soft kiss that surrounded me with his heat. "I know what's happening," he whispered to me. My eyebrows furrowed and I nodded. He sat down beside me and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Jellal, I'm scared," I breathed, yet my voice sounded strong.

He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. He looked into my eyes, "I can't imagine anyone being fearless in this situation. The truth about you, Erza, is that no matter how afraid you are, you stay strong. Remember, without fear there can be no courage or bravery."

I stared at him, "Thank you."

He nodded, "Don't weigh yourself down with worry…just show the world that courage that you keep inside." I entangled my fingers with his. "I'll come," he whispered.

My head snapped towards him, "Don't be stupid! You're an escaped fugitive! If you came, even if he didn't want to, the Master would be forced to capture you!"

He nodded, "Not if I'm unseen." His face contorted in pain and he stared longingly at me, "I just can't leave you alone."

"What happened to 'don't weigh yourself down with worry', Jellal? That's what you're doing! I'm strong…I'll be alright."

"That's naïve, Erza. No one is safe against Acnologia."

"And you think you will be?"

"I can handle myself."

"Do you realize how hypocritical that sounds?"

He stared at me and then shook his head, "I'm going to be there. You can't change my mind."

"No! I don't want you to get hurt!"

"And I don't want _you _to get hurt!" We stared at each other for a few seconds and then cracked into smiles, "Some pair we are."

"If I can't change your mind…"

He smiled at me and kissed my lips, "You can't."

"You'll be there, then?"

He kissed me again, "I promise." Something about that statement only amplified my worry. At the same time, relief spread through me. Jellal would be there with me. He would be there. I arched my neck and kissed him again. This time is was a deep kiss. We kissed each other there, sitting in the separate world, for a long time. When we stopped, he brushed his lips against mine. I lifted up my hand, my pinky outstretched. He smiled at me and wrapped his own pinky around mine. It was a promise.

**~TIMESKIP~**

When I got back people still hung around the guild. It was a little less full, but a few comrades from other guilds and from Fairy Tail lounged around at the tables.

"Erzy-wurzy!" I heard Milliana call out as she walked towards me. She wrapped her arms around me and I smiled. "Are you alright? You didn't look so good when you were leaving. Where did you go? You were gone for a couple hours."

"I'm fine, Milliana. Don't worry about me. I just went for a walk," I replied

She stared at me skeptically, "That was a long walk."

I shrugged, "I fell asleep for a little while."

Milliana still looked like she didn't believe me, even though it was true. I'd just left out the part about Jellal. She nodded and went to sit down with Kagura.

"Erza! Where were you? Come here!" called a voice. It was the Master, and he looked very upset. I nodded and followed after him. Sitting in the next room, around a table, were all of the people who had been on the journey to Cedar. I sat down next to Laxus. He just looked annoyed. Adel was there, too, and she looked strangely fine. I expected her to be nervously twitched or clinging to Natsu, but she had a level head. But, then again, I knew she was strong.

"There is some terrible news that I must deliver to you," said the Master, crossing his arms and frowning. Wrinkles appeared on top of wrinkles. He was silent for a moment. Natsu broke that fragile silence, as always not being able to sense the mood, "What is it?" _Patience is not your virtue, Natsu_.

The Master took a deep breath, "Azaiah has been found murdered in the forest nearby his house." I raised a hand to my face. Lucy gasped. Everyone else sat unmoving, shock hitting them hard.

"Do they know who did it?" Grey asked calmly.

The Master shook his head, "No. All we know is that his body was completely intact. There were no signs of health failure or physical trauma."

"Then how did he die?" asked Laxus, leaning back in his chair.

"I have my suspicions," the Master replied. Then it hit me. It must have been a wizard using dark magic. After that realization, another thought dawned on me. I looked to the Master and he nodded.

"What? What is it?" demanded Natsu, leaning forward.

"But why would he kill that old man?" I asked the Master.

"I don't know. Azaiah is famous among magical officials for once being the official expert on dragons. My best guess would be that he was killed for his knowledge."

"Who? What knowledge?" asked Natsu, demanding an answer.

"But then, does that mean that we're going into battle blind?"

"What does that mean?" interrupted Natsu. I ignored him.

"Possibly. If he found out information, he may be planning something."

"WHO is planning WHAT?" shouted Natsu. I finally turned to him, "Acnologia most likely killed Azaiah for information. What that information was about we don't know."

Natsu stared at me, "Acnologia killed Azaiah?"

"We don't know that for sure, but that's a likely possibility," replied that Master. I nodded sternly.

"Do you think that information is dangerous?" asked Lucy, leaning forward.

"Most likely. I don't know what he was looking for, but he most likely found it. That old man was in an unstable position to begin with, and I don't doubt that Acnologia inflicted some form of torture."

Lucy looked down and clenched her hands together. Grey put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him gratefully.

"There's nothing we can do at this point, though. He will most likely be here tomorrow…all we can do is hope that that information won't affect our battle." I nodded and walked back into the hall.

"Erza, I'm scared," said Lucy, coming up to walk beside me.

I smiled at her, "Without fear there cannot be courage or bravery…remember that."

I thought of the man who had said those very same words to me. I smiled.


	24. Chapter 24: Adel

**A/N: AH! Super short chapter! Sorry about that. Good luck not freaking out. ;)**

**Also: Quick announcement/warning. The coming chapters will most likely have a lot of Adel's POV, so if you don't like her...sorry?**

**(ADEL'S POV)**

Even though it was summertime, the night air was cold against my exposed skin. Part of me regretted not throwing on a jacket before I left the guildhall, but the other part welcomed the cold. I shivered as my mind cleared up. Even though tomorrow was the day I would fight Acnologia, I still wasn't afraid. Maybe the fear that had frozen me up all those years ago had completely turned into anger. I didn't pride myself in my desire for revenge, but I couldn't help it. Something that evil does not belong in this world. I had to face the truth; I didn't have a choice. I was going to kill something. I'd never hesitated with my knife before, not in street fights or even when I met Acnologia in that forest, but I worried now. Would I be able to end something's life, (even if that something is an evil bastard that killed my father)? I shook off the worry. I was going to let my anger guide me. My anger wouldn't let me down by hesitating.

I froze in my tracks and turned around quickly. I felt eyes on my back. I narrowed my own eyes, but nothing appeared out of the darkness. That's when it hit me. The small of Acnologia was so strong that I gagged. I shrugged off the horrible feeling the pit of my stomach and took off towards the guildhall. I wasn't too far from help…that is if anyone was even left there. It was late and there was a possibility that everyone had already gone home. I knew I couldn't do this alone. I listened hard, but all I heard were my own footsteps. I hoped no one was following me, but I couldn't tell. This was Acnologia we were talking about, I didn't know what to expect.

The smell still surrounded me when I burst into the guildhall. "Adel?" asked a voice. I turned and saw Jax sitting on a table next to happy, "Adel, are you alright?"

He put down his fish and flew towards me. I was still breathing hard. I nodded exhaustedly. My body felt unusually numb as I fell to my knees. Jax landed beside me and put a paw on my arm. I smiled at him, "It's been a while since I've seen you, huh?'

He nodded, "What happened?"

"I…I smelled Acnologia…but he wasn't there. I think I'm going crazy." I hid my face in my hands, but Jax nuzzled his head in between them.

"It's ok. There's a lot of pressure on you," he said to me. For some reason, Jax was able to calm me down with just a few words.

"Adel? What are you doing on the floor?' asked a different voice. I didn't have to look up to tell see the owner of the voice. Standing by my leg was a large black cat. Apparently he could talk too.

"Uh…no reason?" I replied.

He didn't look convinced, but didn't question any further. "Have I seen you before?" I asked. He nodded, but didn't say anything.

There was an awkward moment of silent until I asked, "Where?"

"I attacked you…" he replied, looking down.

"That so…" then a second later, "Ah! The one who gave me brain trauma!"

He looked ashamed. "Not that I'm angry…" I added, trying to ease his guilt a bit. I got to my feet and brushed the dust off of my jeans.

"What are you doing back here?" asked Mira.

I looked to her, "Uh, I don't know? If I had to give you an answer I would blame it on my unstable mental condition." I plopped down on a bar stool, "Where is everyone?"

"They all went home. The cats over here wanted to stay for the leftover fish. Their Dragonslayers already left. Natsu said something about 'building up his strength' so that he can protect you better."

I smiled, "That sounds like him."

"Well, even Gajeel went home to get some sleep…maybe he doesn't hate you as much as he would like for you to think he does."

"Sure," I sarcastically drawled, "Think what you want to think."

"Adel, everyone…even people who just met you, want to help you—will help you."

I nodded, staying silent. After a moment of silence I put my thoughts into words, "That doesn't make it any easier."

Mira nodded, "Taking a life is never easy…this probably won't help much, but would you like some tea?"

I smiled softly, "Sure…thanks." She turned to prepare the tea. When it was ready, she set it down in front of me and smiled. I nodded in thanks and took a sip. The tea succeeded in soothing me. I started to feel sleepy.

"Thanks for this," I said. My eyelids felt heavy. I looked down at my feet.

"Oh, I wouldn't thank me if I were you," said a cold voice. It was dripping in malevolent satisfaction. My head snapped up, and what I saw had me reeling.

The face of Acnologia stared at me. His dark hair shone in the dim lighting of the guildhall. His skin looked pale and sickly. My eyes were strangely blurry, but I could make out shiny black scales that jutted out of his skin, creeping out from underneath his clothes and adorning his arms and face. He was grotesque.

"Adel! GO!" bellowed Jax, "Happy, go get help!" I saw the dark cat—whose name I wasn't quite sure of yet—switch into his battle form. I started to feel dizzy…something must have been in the tea he gave me. I think I saw Jax lunge at Acnologia along with the black cat, but I couldn't be sure; my vision was too unclear.

I tried to cry out as all my strength left me, but I couldn't make as much as a peep. I collapsed to the floor, tumbling off my stool. My head registered an intense pain, but I didn't mind it. _Still, a girl can only take so many blows to the head before she changes! Stupid! Trust me to think something stupid in a time like this! _The last thing I saw was Acnologia knocking Jax aside with one fist and then looking down on me evilly. His dark eyes gleamed as mine slid shut. I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears, but nothing else. A strange calm swept over me. I felt like I was floating. Had he poisoned me? Is this what it's like to die? Sorry... Silinean.

**A/N: CLIFFHANGER?! Muhaha...}:) Sorry, guys, but there you have it: the end of this chapter. Did you freak out? I did when I was writing it. I sort of just came up with this entire chapter on the spot. Ok, so maybe I was in the middle of my Algebra class...but hey, I'll take it. I'm a little sad it turned out to be so short, but oh well. New chapter coming soon, (don't worry...it's not over). **


	25. Chapter 25: Natsu

**(NATSU'S POV)**

I'd woken up with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was like a sense of dread had taken up residence in my chest. It weighed me down as I was on my way to the guild. "Natsu, are you ok?" I looked up to see Happy floating beside me.

I nodded, "I just have a weird feeling."

"What kind of weird feeling?"

"I can't describe it! Stop asking questions!" I insisted. Happy looked surprised. I shook my head, "Sorry, Happy. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just haven't been feeling like myself today." Happy nodded and we headed towards the guild in silence.

When we arrived, a lot of people were standing in the center of the hall. They were gathered around something that I couldn't see. I tried to jump up so that I could catch a glimpse, but it didn't work, "Happy, what is it?" He didn't reply. I looked up at him and noticed the shock that was on his face. I growled and shoved my way through the crowd, "What is i—"

I froze. Sitting in the center of the crowd were Jax and Panther Lily. They were out of their battle forms, but were badly hurt. Blood caked Jax's fur along his forehead and a large gash stretched across Panther Lily's side. Wendy was treating them. I walked up to them, the feeling that had been plaguing me all morning getting worse as I closer inspected their injuries, "What happened?"

Jax looked up at me. I saw tears threaten to spill down his face, "I c-couldn't h-h-help her…sh-she's gone!" The tears were now dripping down his tiny face, but that wasn't my concern. I felt the blood rush from my face. I raised a hand to my mouth.

"Adel was taken," Lily said sternly, "I'm sorry."

"There was no one here last night, and apparently Adel was tricked…by Acnologia," said a voice. I turned and saw Lucy. Her eyes were puffy and her face was damp. When I looked at her she started crying again. I felt strangely numb. _Adel is gone, Adel is gone, Adel is gone_. Those words kept floating through my head. Suddenly, that numbness turned into anger. My blood boiled.

"Natsu, don't!" I heard Grey yell, but it was too late. Fire engulfed my body, whirling around me and towering up towards the ceiling of the guildhall. My anger flowed through me, fueling my fire. People backed up around me, trying to avoid being burned. I heard myself scream out of anger. _Is she dead? _I didn't want to think about it, but the question refused to leave the back of my mind.

"Natsu! Stop!" I heard a voice shout. I ignored it. Unfortunately, that wasn't a wise decision. I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck and I collapsed to the ground, moaning. Erza had whipped out her trademark neck-chop. "Don't be a fool, Natsu," scolded Erza. I covered up my face with one arm. _I let this happen. I should have been there. I should have saved her! _

"Natsu!" cried Lucy. She knelt on the ground and wrapped her arms around me. She was sobbing now. My arm dropped to my side as I felt my strength leave me, "It's my fault." Lucy shook her head, her tears dripping onto my chest, "No, it's not." I was shaking.

"Natsu," said a voice, "There's something you should see." I turned my head to see Mira standing over me.

"What?" She just closed her eyes and turned. I summoned my strength and stumbled to my feet. I was still shaking a bit. I followed after Mira. She stopped in front of the bar, "I found this when I arrived."

"What is it?" I asked. A smallish, black orb sat on the bar. I sensed a strange magical energy coming from it. It was about the size of my hand. Dark energy buzzed around it, dripping down onto the bar table. It oozed down into a black puddle at the base of the orb. What could only be described at black mist drifted off of it.

"Do you think its—" started Kinana. She'd reached out towards it. Her words were stopped by a scream. I watched in horror as the black ooze snapped out towards her arm and wrapped itself around her like it was alive. I took a step back. It twisted around her body, covering her arms and her neck. "Kinana!" shouted Erik. He lunged towards her and tried to free her from the ooze, but to no avail. He looked frantic. Kinana's eyes had turned completely black, not unlike how Erza's had a long time ago. Suddenly, her arm shot out and slammed Erik aside. He fell to the ground in shock.

"Well, well, well," said Kinana…only it wasn't Kinana's voice. She cocked her head and grinned evilly. "_You,_" I growled. I lunged myself at him, but my fist only made contact with the air beside Kinana's body. She was completely covered in the blackness now.

"What did you do to Kinana?" snarled Erik, on his feet now. I got the feeling that the only reason he wasn't hurling himself at Acnologia was because he was using Kinana's body.

A haunting laugh escaped Kinana's lips, "I didn't do anything…she's fine. When she waked up she won't remember anything and she'll be fine…either that or she'll be dead. Who knows?"

Erik screamed in outrage. Acnologia smiled contentedly. He turned to me, "Natsu Dragneel?"

I narrowed my eyes and took a step forward, "How do you know my name?"

A cold grin snaked across his face, "Because Adel told me _all _about you."

A flurry of emotions flew past me: surprise, joy, anger, and fear, "What did you do to her?"

"I just…" he paused, considering what to say, "Helped her realize her true self."

"What the _hell _does that mean?" demanded Erza. She wasn't one to swear, so it was clear that she was angry.

"She's alive, then?" asked Lucy, hopefully.

"Why don't you find out for yourself?" he asked.

"What?" demanded Grey. Acnologia turned to Grey, now, "Why don't you come see her? Or shall I send her to see you?"

"Send her here?" questioned Lucy, "W-what?"

"I quite like that idea. You should ready your little _guild _for a guest," he said. He spat the word 'guild' at us. I growled. With that, the black ooze lifted off of Kinana and disappeared into the air. It left a foul smell behind. Kinana collapsed to the ground breathing hard. Erik was by her side immediately, cradling her in his arms. Wendy was on it. I worried about her healing so many people at once. She was bound to exhaust herself.

Suddenly, the full force of what I'd just seen and heard hit me. I had to sit down. I angrily ran my fingers through my hair. Thoughts spun through my head like crazy. "She's alive, Natsu," squeaked Lucy, coming towards me and sitting beside me. She leaned against my arm as I nodded. I didn't say anything.

"What did he mean by 'helped her to realize her true self'?" asked Erza, stroking her nonexistent beard.

"I don't think it's something good," Grey pointed out. I nodded in consent. _Helping her to realize her true self…bullshit_.

"I guess we'll find out soon," I said under my breath. I stood up and walked out of the guildhall, thoughts of Adel chronic thoughts of Adel recurring in my head.

**~TIMESKIP~**

It was dark now. The guildhall was still pretty full, but it was quiet. I suppose people didn't want to head home just in case Adel spontaneously showed up. I kept looking to the door, wishing she would appear and smile at me. I should have been more careful. I should have valued the time we had together more. I missed her like crazy. I couldn't focus on anything. I fidgeted constantly. As soon as I'd found out that she was gone, I'd been feeling like this.

"Natsu, you should calm down." I turned and saw Grey sitting on the stool beside me.

"Like you have a right to say that," I grumbled.

"I get it. You love her."

I punched him, "Don't be weird."

"What? It's true, right?" I stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "Well, I get it, then."

"You mean because you're in love with Lucy?" I asked bluntly.

His face turned bright red. _Hehe, a new way to torture him_. "How did you know?" he demanded.

"I don't mean to imply that you're an idiot, man, but it's really obvious."

His shoulders sagged, "I am an idiot."

"I wasn't being serious."

"But it was true." I stared at him, "Other than the obvious, why are you an idiot?" We then proceeded to shoot idiocy back and forth between us.

"Don't be an asshole."

"Impossible."

"It's because of Lucy."

"What about Lucy?"

"You know I love her?"

"Yeah."

"I haven't told her."

"Man! How long have you loved her?"

"I don't know. A long time."

"You are an idiot."

"Yeah."

"…So tell her."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I just can't."

"Why?"

"What if she rejects me?"

"She won't reject you."

"How do _you _know?"

"You _are _an idiot!"

"Asshole."

"Hey, I told you it was impossible…"

"Yeah, yeah. How do you suggest I go about it?"

"Kiss her."

"WHAT?!"

"Kiss her."

"I heard you the first time!"

"Then why did you—"

"Shuddap!"

"You're the one who asked me."

"Fine!" I grinned. _Hehehe, Natsu 1, Grey 0. _

To my surprise he stood up and took a deep breath. He walked over to where Lucy was standing and touched her shoulder. When she turned he pulled her to him and swept her into a deep kiss. I grimaced and turned away. _Damn, he actually did it…idiot. _I was waiting for the sound of a violent slap, but it didn't come. I turned to look and saw them holding each other, still kissing. My eyebrows rose. As people started to notice, a chorus of cheers erupted in the guildhall.

"You go get her, Grey!"

"That's a man!" I could guess who had said that.

"Get a room!"

"Kyaaaa! Lucy!" I turned to see who that was. Levy was jumping up and down beside Gajeel. Gajeel just looked bored.

"Damn, cheerleader," said Bickslow and Laxus at the same time, their arms crossed over their chests. I grinned. _Grey actually did it!_

"Surprise?" said Grey. He was smiling largely.

"At least I didn't slap you on impulse, though. You should be proud," she shot back.

He nodded, "Thanks for that."

"Does this mean that you're my boyfriend now?"

"Only if it means you'll be my girlfriend." I curled my lip back in disgust. I didn't need to see two of my best friends piling on the flirts. I stood up and walked to the door. The guildhall had suddenly lit up, the somber mood broken. I reached for the doorknob, but the door swung open before I could grasp it. I stumbled backwards.

"Hey, there," cooed a voice. The guildhall was completely silent. The fresh air from outside drifted into the room. The street lamp outside flickered, releasing a strange buzzing sound. "It's nice to meet you…_not_." Adel's fist hurtled towards me, sending me flying. _Since when was she so strong…and why the hell did she punch me?!_

Adel stepped into the room. Everyone was tense, wondering why she'd thrown a punch. That's when I saw it. Adel looked like her regular self except for one thing. It was hard not to see. Both of her eyes were the same color…dark. "Adel?" Lucy whimpered.

"That's not Adel, Lucy," I said sternly. I got to my feet and stood facing the person in the doorway.

"Oh, I'm very much Adel. Just not _your _Adel. I'm the better Adel…the one who isn't a little bitch and didn't fall in love with _your punk ass_," she said laughingly. I took a step forward, "Give me my Adel back." I growled at her, igniting my fists.

"Ohoho…look out, everyone, we've got a badass over here!" she called to the guildhall, "Oh wait, no we don't! All I see is a little _orphan _who couldn't hang onto his _love_…if that's even what you would call it."

I froze, "Orphan? That's not exactly an insult considering your past."

She smiled. It wasn't the warm smile I was used to seeing from Adel. It was a spine-chilling smile that was full of insanity. She leaned backwards, her arms hanging like those of a ragdoll. She cocked her head and let out a chilling laugh that shook me to my soul, "You mean Silinean? I couldn't be happier that he's gone! Acnologia took care of him for me! I never have to see him again!" Her laughter echoed through the hall.

I growled, "Adel would never say that!"

She gasped, "Oh, she wouldn't? Well, I'm not as weak as your little girlfriend!"

"Adellaine Dragoe! Stop this, this instant!" bellowed a voice. It was the master.

"How do you know my name!?" Adel asked. For a moment I saw a flash of my Adel in her eyes. The eye that was usually light shimmered.

"Adel, stop this!" Lucy called desperately.

"This isn't you!" shouted Erza.

"STOP IT!" screamed Adel, holding her head, "Stop it, stop it, stop it!" She screamed and launched herself at me. I was barely able to dodge her fist. Before I had time to react her leg swept mine out from under me and I fell. She stomped on my chest and I couldn't breath. I felt my magic seep from me as she used her own.

"Adel!" I choked out, grasping her leg. She flew off of me as she dodged an attack from Lyon.

"Lyon! What are you doing?" yelled Grey.

"Don't be a fool, Grey. She's hostile!" he answered. Glass-like, ice birds flew towards Adel. She knocked them aside, "Pathetic!"

"Look at her!" shouted Hibiki, "That is not Adel!" I did so. He was right. Her face was dark and shadows surrounded her. She stood there limply as if she were half dead. My heart felt like it was cracking in two.

"He's right!" screamed Erza as she requipped and flew towards Adel. Adel just grinned evilly, not even trying to dodge. She raised her hand and a shockwave knocked Erza backwards. It was like when Adel would use her magic, except the waves that blocked magical energy were a deep black. Erza dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Erza!" screamed Lucy. She called out Leo. He charged towards Adel, a lion of light brilliantly illuminating the guildhall, but Adel easily destroyed him. He vanished back to the Celestial Spirit World. Lucy was crying, "Adel! No!" She wasn't only sad, though. Anger shone in her eyes, displaying her open affection for her spirits.

"Roar of the Iron Dragon!" roared Gajeel. A funnel of razor sharp particles of metal bore down on Adel. She took the blast full on. When the smoke cleared she was still standing. Her clothes were ripped and thick blood dripped from a cut on her cheek. She raised her hand and pointed it towards Gajeel, "You shouldn't have done that." She grinned and positioned her fingers into the same of a gun. She lowered her thumb, "Pow." With that one word what seemed like a bullet of her magical energy zipped through the air directly towards Gajeel. His eyes went wide as Levy jumped in front of him. The magic shot hit her shoulder and she screamed out. She fell lifelessly to the floor. I worried that she was gone, but she cried out when Gajeel lifted her up. His face was wild as he held her. I looked at Adel. She blew on the tip of her finger as if it were a real gun. I needed to stop this.

"NO!" I screamed. I hurled myself towards Adel, my entire body enflamed. She looked towards me, but she was too late. For some reason, her movements were suddenly slow. I took advantage of it and landed a blow to her chest. She flew backwards and got to her feet quickly. "Natsu!" yelled a voice. Macao's purple flare flew towards me and I gratefully devoured it. Adel laughed, "It won't help you, Dragneel!"

"Want to bet?" I yelled. I felt my rage roil inside of me. Not only anger pulsed through my veins, though. In every inch of my body, every cell, every atom, my love for Adel thrived. I was going to save her. I had to. I felt my flames light up higher with my emotions. I knew this feeling. It was Dragon Force. I'd activated Dragon Force with solely my emotions. I felt the scales creep onto my face, "I'll save you, Adel." She laughed, "Save me from what? Freedom?"

"From that cage you're in!" I threw myself at her. My fury and love escaped through every blow, "Fight, Adel! You can do it! You're stronger than this!" All she would do was laugh cruelly, but I knew I was getting to her. I was reaching my Adel. She could hear me. I landed a solid blow to her right cheek. She froze, "Is this how you treat all your girlfriends?"

I was breathing hard. She didn't look at me. "Adel?" I asked, pausing. Her head slowly turned towards me. I was too late realizing that both of her eyes were dark. Her fist struck my stomach, knocking the air out of me. My magic was practically gone with a single blow. "Adel," I wheezed. She stood over me. A few wizards charged forward to stop her, but she screeched, "If you come closer you die!" Then paused, noticing a strange, dark rippling in the air around us. Adel had put up a barrier of her magic around us. I figured it was so powerful that if someone even slightly touched it, it would eliminate all of their magical energy at once, killing them.

I was lying on the ground. She was looked down at me. She leaned over, her hair sliding off of her shoulders. She cocked her head, "Poor little Natsu, you've been through a lot, huh? Well…let me ease your pain." A crazed and possessed smile stretched from ear to ear and she raised her foot. Magical energy gathered as she prepared to stomp on me. I reacted immediately. I kicked the back of her shin. She fell to the ground. Her head slammed against the wood, momentarily stunning her. I leapt on top of her, pinning her down. She growled and writhed. I raised my fist, flames licking my knuckles.

Suddenly she stopped writhing. She stared at me. I watched in shock as a single tear slid down her cheek. I sucked in a quick breath of air. I felt pain stab into my chest. Her eyes were still dark. I raised my fist again, but instead of bringing it down on her, I did something else. I leaned down and kissed her. Even though this was not my Adel, her lips were still the same. They were soft and tasted sweet. No one would have guessed that those same lips had just said all those horrid things. When I opened my eyes and leaned back, Adel's eyes were closed.

Slowly, she opened them. My heart leapt. Her eyes were back to normal. "Natsu, you need to kill me. You need to kill me!" she screamed, "Kill me, Natsu! I don't want to hurt you!"

My eyes went wide, "You're back to normal!"

"No, I'm—" she screamed out in pain, arching her back and writhing. "Adel!"

"Natsu, it hurts. It hurts!" she screeched. She started sobbing, "Natsu, please!"

"NO! I won't kill you!"

She screamed out again, tossing her head back, "Please! She's going to come back! I can't stop it! Hurry!"

"NO!" I screamed. I crushed her against me, holding her tight. I wasn't going to let her go again. I would save her. I would help her. She was shaking and sobbing. "It hurts so much," she cried. I opened my eyes and saw something I didn't expect. Suddenly, she was ripped from my arms. She rose into the air, black mist curling around her body. She was screamed and twisting around in pain midair. Her hair and clothes defied gravity, lifting into the air. I reached for her, but I was too late. Her body started to disintegrate, disappearing into the dark fog. She reached for me, her eyes desperate and terrified. Our fingers touched for a moment before her hand vanished completely. The hall was silent. All traces of Adel were gone except for one thing. Sitting where she'd been was a sealed letter. I picked it up and opened it. Inside was one note. The paper was blackened as if it had been burnt around the edges. A single line was scrawled on it in messy handwriting.

_Come and get her._


	26. Chapter 26: Adel Gajeel

**A/N: Aaaaaand another chapter! Hopefully a lot of your questions will be answered in the following 2,534 words...geehee. :)  
Note: Alayah is pronounced: A-LIE-UH**

**(ADEL'S POV)**

My entire body screamed out in pain, but what I'd just done hurt me more. I'd attacked Fairy Tail. _No, that wasn't me! _Questions whirled around in my head as to why I'd done what I had, but nothing made sense. I could feel my mind slip away, but I wouldn't let go. I wasn't going to let anything like that happen again.

"Why don't you just give in? It will hurt less," Acnologia whispered to my ear. His foul breath stirred the hair that fell over my face.

"Nothing could hurt me more than what I've already done, _bastard!_" I spat. I tried to lash out at him, forgetting that my hands were bound tight above my head. Moving only worsened my pain and I screamed out.

He chuckled cruelly, "I don't mind you living in pain, but you really are obnoxious."

"What did you do to me?" I growled.

He grinned, "I assume you know that I killed that old buffoon in that idiotic forest, yes? Well, I found out a little something from him." I narrowed my eyes. "I found out that the daughter of Silinean, _you_, have two sides," he raised one finger, "The first is this one. It's the goody-goody one. The one that fell in love and made lots of little buddies." He grinned and tipped his chin up so look at me, "The other, though…it's my favorite. It's the dark side. The side of you that would kill those 'friends' without mercy." _What! _"_That_ is what I released in you…and I rather like that Adel much more. Honestly, I think she's just adorable." I shivered as he ran a finger along my face.

"Why are you keeping me alive?" I hissed.

He leaned close to me, "Because I am tied to you." I was silent. That didn't make any sense. He was tied to me? "Killing you won't be _beneficial _for me," he said, turning to leave. The cave he was keeping me in was dark and dank. The only light I had streamed in from the mouth of the cave. He walked towards it, disappearing into the light.

"Be a good girl and don't try and escape! If you're good I might reward you!" and with that he was gone. I grimaced, a new pain stabbing my side. It felt like my ribs were being ripped open. I panted and groaned, trying to stay conscious. I had a feeling that if I passed out _she _would come back. '_Yes, that's right, I'll always be here!' _My head snapped up as I looked for the source of the voice. No one was in the cave except for my pitiful self. '_Yeah, you are a pathetic little bitch. Did you really fall in love with Dragneel?' _

"What?" I asked. Great, I was talking to myself. _'Don't be a fool.' _

"Stop talking!" I screamed, struggling against the ropes that dug into my wrists. _'Oh yeah? What'll you do? Kill yourself? You can't shut me up unless you die!' _

"Who are you?" _'I'm you.' _"Y-you're _her _aren't you?" Silence. _'You can call me Adel number two." _I was pretty sure I heard a laugh...creepy. "I'm Adel, not you!" _'That's not my fault!' _"Fine, I'll call you...Alayah." Silence. _'That's a dumb name.' _"That's not my fault!" _'Touché.' _

"Why are you listening to Acnologia?" I asked. _'He saved me. He released me from always being trapped!' _"Oh, so you're like his loyal dog?" _'What?! I'm not loyal to anyone! I'm not a dog!' _

"Really? Because that's what it sounds like to me." _'I'm stronger than anyone! I can do anything! If anyone is a dog it's you!' _

"Yeah? Then prove it. Get me out of here…get _yourself _out of here." Silence. Then, after a few seconds, Alayah said, _'Fine. Give me a body and I'll show you. I'll prove it to you!' _I grinned and shut my eyes, giving into my pain. I felt my mind drift and suddenly it was like I was watching myself. I'd become a spectator, just like I had been when I was at Fairy Tail.

"Just you watch, I'll show you, bitch," I growled, only it wasn't me. Alayah ripped her arms easily from the rope. She really was stronger than me. _'Wow, you're pretty strong,' _I thought, hoping it would get through to her.

"Of course I am! I told you I was!" said Alayah as she strode towards the light. I smiled…or at least I would if I had a body. Unfortunately, my brilliant plan was foiled as soon as she stepped outside of the cave. "Fuck!" she yelled. Alayah really did have a foul mouth.

"Sadly, it seems I can't keep you as my little pet anymore," growled Acnologia. He had slammed my body to the stone floor, knocking the wind out of Alayah. He pinned her down with one hand. Alayah tried to fight back, but she was completely trapped. "It's too bad…I really did like you," he sighed as he lifted his right hand. He brought it down against her chest. She screamed out as he dug his fingers into her chest, right over her heart. When he ripped his hand away I saw a strange blackness fly from my body. Suddenly, I felt like I was being pulled down. I was sucked back into myself. I was panting, my chest hurting as I returned to myself. "I had a feeling that might have happened. Oh well," he said, grabbing me and tossing me over his shoulder.

He carried me inside the cave and tied me up again. I was too weak to fight him. I didn't know what he'd done, but it had seriously taken a dent out of my energy supply. "This time I really am leaving…don't do anything stupid," he said and then left me again. I let my head sag against my chest. I took in short, shaky breaths, trying to gain control over my body. My limbs ached. "Are you there, Alayah?" I asked. No one answered. It was just as I'd expected. He'd ripped her from me. I didn't even want to think about where she might be now. Alayah was gone. Part of me felt relieved, but the other part was just worried.

I sighed. There wasn't much to do in this cave. It's not like the Dark Dragon was going to leave me a book. A weird image of me chained up, playing Solitaire on the dark cave floor flashed through my head. I let out an exhausted puff, which was as close to a laugh as I could muster.

My mind started to wander, but I avoided thinking about what Acnologia had said to me before. Instead, I brought my mind to a happy place, unleashing my imagination. I remembered that dream I had after I found out that my father had been murdered. I submersed myself in the memory. This time instead of accepting only Natsu's arms, I took his lips. I smiled, hoping that if I wished for it enough it would come true. Only, I knew it wouldn't. I was trapped. I didn't know where I was. The one person—if you could even call him a person—who I hated most in this world was keeping me prison for some unspeakable reason.

Speaking of the person I hate most in the world. "Well, it seems you didn't manage to escape again. Good," he said as he walked back into the cave. Had I really been out of it that long? It only seemed like he'd been gone a few minutes. A thought occurred to me.

"Why do you still look like a human?" I asked. He looked at me, sitting down at the mouth of the cave.

"Not that it matters, but before you woke up I was forced to transform twice. When my transformation expired I became a dragon, but in order to keep an eye on you I had to transform again. Honestly, I'm more fond of my true form, but it's not exactly covert."

I puffed again. "Was that a laugh?" he asked. I puffed again. "You are strange to be laughing in such a situation."

"I've been called worse," I replied, closing my eyes for a few seconds. When I opened them he was standing in front of me. He took my chin between his thumb and forefinger. He stared at me. "What?" I asked. I was tempted to spit directly into his face, but I held myself back. I couldn't see that path turning out well for me. His proximity was only making me angrier. I wanted nothing more than to punch him a million times and then stab him with my knife, but such dark thoughts wouldn't help me in this situation.

"Don't get me wrong, I really _do _want to kill you," he hissed.

I scoffed, "Then do it."

"I'm not interested in dying," he replied. My eyes went wide. He looked surprised, "_Shit_." I grinned, "So _that's _why you won't kill me?"

"It doesn't matter if you know," he said, brushing off his surprise.

"Oh yeah?"

His eyes lit with anger, "You're only making me want to kill you _more!_"

I grinned, "Go for it. I won't stop you."

This time it was his turn to surprise me, "Is that so? What about your little _lover? _Wouldn't he miss you?"

I growled and struggled against my bonds, "Bastard! Don't talk about Natsu!"

He took a step back avoiding my flailing legs. His smile only angered me more, "Maybe I'll kill _him. _How would you feel about that?" I screamed in outrage. He struck my head with his fist and I blacked out. The last thing I remember is fear. Fear for Natsu.

**(GAJEEL'S POV)**

I always knew there was something I didn't like about that girl. Maybe I'd smelled it on her. Her traitorousness. I furrowed my eyebrows and sighed. It didn't matter right now. One day, yeah, I would get her back for this, but not today.

I wrapped my hand around Levy's. She was still sleeping. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. It was still hot due to the fever. I ran my fingers along her face, brushing her aqua-colored hair out of her face. I hoped against hope that she would pull through.

A small mumbling escaping her lips interrupted my thoughts. I leaned forward, "Lev?" Her eyes cracked open. She smiled weakly at me. "Don't try to talk, ok. You were hit hard," I whispered to her. She closed her hand around mine and I smiled at her. I squeezed her palm.

"Promise me you won't hate her," she breathed, her eyes shutting again. My insides churned—mostly out of anger, but also out of worry.

"I can't do that," I growled. Her eyes slowly opened again. She lifted her hand and touched my face. I nuzzled her hand. "Gajeel," she whispered.

I furrowed my brow, "Levy, I—"

"Please?" She stroked my cheek with her thumb. I didn't answer. I couldn't just forgive what that Adel girl had done. She'd hurt Levy, and I wasn't going to let that slip.

"Gajeel, it wasn't Adel who did that," she said to me. I looked up, "What?"

"It wasn't her, Gajeel," she said, closing her eyes again. She tried to sit up, but when I saw her wince I pushed her back down.

"Don't get up, Lev. You'll hurt yourself," I said quietly. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. She smiled, "I'm glad I have you."

"I'm not going anywhere. Go to sleep," I said, pulling her blankets up. She nodded. I was careful not to touch her shoulder.

"Gajeel," she whispered, her eyes still closed. I knew what she wanted. I kissed her lips gently and whispered back, "Fine. I promise." She smiled and then drifted to sleep. I took a lock of her hair between my fingers and twirled it around my finger. I'd promised her, but I wasn't sure that I could guarantee that I would keep that promise. I felt guilty, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I kissed her hand and lay it down on her bed. I got up. I needed to get a drink from the bar, but I would come back. I stepped out into the hallway and headed towards the hall. When I arrived, everyone looked up at me.

"Gajeel, can I go see her?" asked Lucy, walking towards me immediately.

"She's sleeping, but you can if you want," I replied, nodding. She grinned and headed towards the medical clinic. I strode towards the bar and sat down. I propped my head on my palm and asked for a drink.

"Are you alright?" asked Mira. I looked up at her. She was staring at me questioningly. I nodded.

"Lucy is with her right now. I figure I should let them have some 'girl time' 'er whatever…even though she's sleeping right now," I replied. Mira nodded and set my drink down in front of me. I practically downed it in one go. That was when Salamander sat down beside me.

"Is Levy ok?" he asked. I frowned, "Why do you care?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, turning to me.

"It was _your _little girlfriend who did this," I replied. I gestured to the rest of the guildhall. Several people had injuries, some worse than others, and everyone was nearly silent.

"It was _not _Adel who did this!" he growled. I stood up too and looked down at him. I was grateful for my height.

"Really? Because that's what it looked like to me," he growled back.

"Stop it!" said Mira, "Please don't do this! The guild is already in bad enough shape!" I had a feeling she wasn't talking about the building but rather the people.

"What're you gonna do, _Salamander_," I snarled. Honestly, I knew I was being stupid. I'd just promised Levy that I wouldn't hold a grudge, and yet here I was. I mostly just wanted to take my anger out on someone. Natsu shouldn't have walked up to me. Who knows, maybe I would help him take out some of his own anger. His entire body lit up in flames. I grinned. I let my anger fuel my magic. Iron scales wrapped around my entire body and green light danced around me.

I suddenly felt a crippling pain in the back of my neck, "Don't be fools!"

"Ah, what the f—" I began, but was cut off by another chop. The red devil stood over me.

"Now is not the time for this. Go be with Levy, Gajeel," scolded Erza. I didn't want to kneel down to her, but all of the fight had been chopped out of me. I suddenly felt pretty tired. Natsu was holding his neck. I hadn't seen it, but apparently he'd been chopped too.

"Natsu, you know bett—I take that back," she said.

"What?" he protested.

Erza just raised a hand and walked away. I heard Grey laugh, "Ha, she totally got you there."

"Shut up, freeze-brain," he said. I groaned and left before the inevitable fight broke out between the two. I headed towards the medical clinic. I wanted to see Levy. As I walked I thought about what had happened. _I hope she never comes back_…_sorry, Levy, but forgiveness isn't in my nature_.


	27. Chapter 27: Grey

**(ACNOLOGIA'S POV)**

Nothing would make me happier then walking across this damn cave and strangling her to death. She was unconscious, but she was still annoying. I grimaced, staring at her. She was a serious pain in the ass. She murmured in her sleep. I wanted to kick her to death. I growled without realizing it.

After I had the joy of killing that old man, I'd found out something extremely _troubling_, so to say. I'd tortured the information out of him, but his words weren't nearly as satisfying as killing him. I didn't hear what I wanted to. Yes, I discovered that Adel had always harbored another identity, but that wasn't the problem. Even more of a pain in the ass than her personality was the spell that Silinean had cast on her.

I growled again, clenching my hands into fists. That dragon had cast a spell on her that linked her magical energy to mine. If I were to kill her in order to guarantee my survival—as she is the only real threat to my existence—I would die. Apparently, Silinean thought it was some form of protection from me…and I guess it was. It stopped me from murdering her, that's for sure. The only imperfection with Silinean's plan was that it wouldn't stop _her _from killing herself. I sure as hell wasn't going to let her anywhere near anything sharp. I made a note to myself to not imprisoner her near any cliffs. I sighed, leaning against the cold cave wall. Then I realized something. I got up and strode over to where Adel was tied up. I kicked her bag away from her. It was the one where her knife was. I sat down again, satisfied with my foresight.

I sat down and began thinking again. I'd left a note for that insignificant guild. It was something that had to be done. I didn't doubt that they would come…and I would kill them all. It was one less thing to do. I seem to remember killing them once. It had been easy. I wasn't worried. Apparently, though, they didn't die. I frowned. _Maybe they'll be harder to kill than I think_. I'd make sure to kill them _thoroughly _this time. I wouldn't hold back. No one could kill me except for the stupid girl that was passed out in front of me. I couldn't kill her, but that didn't mean I couldn't hurt her. I stood up and smiled out of pure delight. My steps echoed throughout the cave. I reached for her.

**(GREY'S POV)**

"Do you think he's alive?" asked Sting. He was leaning over Natsu who was passed out on the bar.

"I'd say it's a fifty-fifty chance," I replied. I could understand being partially dead in his situation though.

"Do you think he'd move if I poked him?" Sting asked. I shrugged. "Should I?" Sting grinned.

"Do it," I said. We leaned close, our shadows covering up his face. Sting reached out and poked Natsu face. Natsu's eyes snapped open and he slammed Sting's head against the bar table instinctively.

"Damn, what the hell?" shouted Sting, holding his now-bleeding nose. Rogue was on Natsu immediately, "You think you can attack our Guild Master without any consequences?" He'd grabbed Natsu shirt and pulled him to his feet.

Natsu raised his hands, "I didn't do it on purpose!"

"How can you slam someone's face into a table _accidentally_?" growled Rogue. I snorted. With Natsu anything is possible...even non-intentional face-slamming.

I grabbed Rogue's shoulder, "Ease off. Now's not the time to fight amongst ourselves."

"I'm sorry," said Natsu. I stared at him, my jaw dropping. I looked around to see if anyone else had heard that. Everyone who'd heard was staring at him also.

"He's serious. He just apologized…Natsu doesn't do that," said Erza, standing up and walking towards Rogue. Rogue reluctantly let Natsu go, stepping down. Natsu sighed and sat back down.

"Natsu, I don't think—" I began.

"Don't, Grey. There's nothing you can say that will stop me from going," he interrupted. I should have known that he expected me to try and talk him down.

"Natsu, that'd be suicidal!" cried Lucy, appearing beside me. She grabbed my hand for comfort. I grinned.

"She's right, Natsu. You'd die for sure," I insisted.

"I don't care," Natsu replied.

"Natsu!" reprimanded Erza, "Don't you remember what I told you?"

Natsu looked up and stared at her blankly. "You don't die for your friends…you _live _for them!" she said, stepping towards him.

"Adel is not just my friend!" he shouted, getting to his feet. Erza sighed.

"But we are your friends!" I shouted. People were staring now. "And we're not just going to let you go and get yourself killed!"

He turned to me, "So what, then? You'd have me just sit around this guild while Adel is—"

"That's not what we said!" Erza yelled. Lucy muttered, "We thought you'd have figured this out by now…" Natsu stared at her questioningly.

"We're coming with you," Erza and I said at once. We smiled at each other. Natsu's eyes softened. He looked down and nodded. There was some mumbling in the guildhall. I turned to everyone, "Who will come with us?" No one said anything. After a little while Eyebrows spoke up, "Without Adel, we have no chance." He said those words hesitantly as if he didn't want to offend us.

"I don't think it's a good idea," someone else said quietly.

"It's a suicide mission!" someone else shouted.

"Listen, everyone!" shouted Erza, standing tall, "There is one thing that holds guild together! The bond of family! Adel, though she was a new addition to our family, is part of us. We won't let her down. We won't abandon her! You all came here for a reason! Remember that! Will you just give up; leave an innocent girl to die? Will you just let it end like this?" Nobody spoke a word. Seconds of agonizing silence passed, but they seemed more like minutes.

I heard a chair screech against the floor as someone stood up, "I'll come with you." I looked to see who'd said it. Walking towards us, shoving between people, was Erik. He stopped in front of us and nodded, "I've done some terrible things in my life. If I can make those things better by helping…I won't hesitate." I nodded. He stood beside me and crossed his arms over his chest, looking forward resolutely.

"Erik?" I heard someone say. Kinana stepped forward, tears in her eyes. He smiled at her. She took his hand and stood beside him. There was a moment of silence before the doors to the guildhall flew open. A person in a black cloak stepped in and walked towards us. The person reached up and lowered their hood. My eyes went wide, but Erza's were wider.

"I'll come," he said. "Jellal?! What are you doing?" demanded Erza, stepping forward.

He smiled and took his place beside her, "What I should." There was deafening silence in the hall. I'd expected people to question about his presence, but no one spoke a word or yelled in outrage. I suppose they'd accepted it. We were Fairy Tail, after all...strange things happening is unsurprising. Finally, Milliana stepped forward. Tears were in her eyes and she walked up to Erza, "I don't understand, but…I'm not one to leave a friend." She stood beside Erza and took her hand. She looked out at everyone defiantly, the tears falling.

"I'll go...for Adel," said Jax, floating over to us. He landed on Lucy's head and she giggled. "Don't giggle...it's insulting." She giggled more and he growled. It sounded more like a kitten's purr, though. I smirked and Jax's eyes shot daggers at me. I forced my face to become blank, but Jax still eyed me angrily. _Damn, smack-down by a kitten!_

"Grey," said a voice. I turned and saw Lyon walking towards me. He stood in front of me and put a hand on my shoulder, "We've been through a lot. I guess now's not the time to say goodbye." I smiled and clapped his arm. He nodded and stood beside me. Juvia stepped forward and smiled. She didn't say anything…just stood beside us. She took Lyon's hand. I grinned to myself.

"We won't abandon a comrade," said Eyebrows, walking towards us. I wasn't even sure what his real name was, yet he still stood beside me. "I don't have anything to lose…except for my socks…I don't want to lose them," said Toby, clutching the sock that hung around his neck. Apparently he had replaced it after the Grand Magic Games. At least he knew where it was now. "I don't think Acnologia wants your socks," I muttered. Lucy elbowed me in the ribs and I chuckled.

"I'd be honored to lend my strength to you," said Jura stepping forward and standing beside Lyon.

"I'm always up for a challenge," said Sting, stepping forward. The entirety of Sabertooth followed behind him. They took their place in or group. Yukino smiled timidly at Lucy. Rogue's face was expressionless.

"We won't let Sabertooth one-up us!" said Bacchus. He and Quatro Cerberus stepped forward. They stood beside Sting and company. The two guilds grinned at each other.

"Hey, don't leave me out!" said Cana, walking forward and standing beside us.

Laxus stepped forward, sighing, "I had a feeling you were going to say that." He stood beside Cana and looked at Natsu, "Might as well, right?"

"Laxus! We won't leave you!" shouted Bickslow as the Thunder God Tribe stepped forward. "Ever!" called Elfman. "Freid," said Mira. They both stepped forward at the same time. I wasn't sure what was going on between Freid and Mira, but they stood together. Lisanna went to stand beside her siblings.

"I want to come too!" chirped Wendy, running forward.

"We'll go too," said Eve, stepping forward with Blue Pegasus at his back. "I won't let that _parfume _be extinguished!" said Ichiya, following behind Eve. Erza grimace and her face paled. I didn't blame her.

"Ren!" cried Sherry. He smiled at her as he stood next to Hibiki. Sherry frowned and then stood beside him. She took his hand and he blushed slightly.

"I'll go where Wendy goes," said Romeo, standing next to Wendy.

"Romeo!" scolded Macao. Wacaba tapped his friend's shoulder with his pipe, "Let the kid do what he wants." He stepped forward and tussled Romeo's hair. Macao growled and went to stand beside his son.

"Erza, Milliana, I'll be accompanying you," said Kagura, standing beside them. Mermaid Heel followed behind her.

I heard someone growl, "I made a promise." Gajeel stepped forward and stared at Natsu.

"You don't hav—" Natsu began. His words were cut off as Gajeel punched him in the face…hard. "Ow," said Natsu, holding his nose.

Gajeel grinned, "I just felt like that had to happen before I stood here."

"But you said—"

"I'm not doing it for you or that _stupid _girl. It's for Levy," he said, standing beside Natsu. Natsu nodded in understanding and Gajeel crossed his arms irritably.

"Then I'll come, too," said Panther Lily, floating beside Gajeel.

"We'll go for Levy too!" said Jet and Droy and the same time. They strode forward determinedly. Gajeel frowned.

Bisca and Alzack stepped forward hand in hand, "We're not about to leave our friends behind!" Lucy stopped them, "What about Asuka?" Bisca hesitated, looking to her daughter. Asuka ran to her father and wrapped herself around his leg. He knelt down and picked her up. He looked at Bisca, "I'm not proud saying this, but she's right. We can't leave Asuka." Bisca nodded solemnly and looked to Lucy. Her eyes were glossy as she hugged Lucy and nodded, stepping back and holding Alzack's arm tightly. Alzack kissed her forehead and then turned to us, "All I can say is good luck…come back to us." Bisca nodded in agreement, "This won't be the last time we see you." She was shaking and sobbing now. Erza stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, nodding. The family turned to leave.

One by one all of the members of Fairy Tail stepped forward until no one was left standing apart from us. I grinned widely. This was my guild. This was my family. We stick together. So what if we're strange, if we're different from everyone else. Our peculiarities only make us stronger. In times of doubt, of pain and struggle, we come together. We always come out stronger than we were before. That was Fairy Tail. That was every wizard in this hall. This was family.

"My brats," said a voice. Stepping forward was the old man. His arms were crossed and his face was hidden as he looked at the floor. "I—" he hesitated, his voice breaking. He looked up and I saw tears in his eyes, "I'm so proud of you!"

Erza smiled, "What did you expect? We're family."

I grinned, "We stay together no matter what."

"I'm fired up now!" shouted Happy, flying in circles. Everyone laughed. The Master stepped forward, "I won't let my children go to battle without me!" We cheered. I looked to Natsu. He was smiling. He turned to me and nodded. He stepped forward, Happy right behind him. He headed towards the door. I smiled and followed after him, Erza and Lucy on my heels. As if moving as one, every wizard in the hall stepped forward, following our lead.

We were going to war. Some of us could be injured. Some of us may even die, but we're a family. We stay together no matter what. We could face anything. I felt our bonds deep in my chest as we walked together. We marched out of the guildhall. We followed Natsu, trusting his nose. The sound of hundreds of footsteps was all we heard. I grinned, holding Lucy's hand as we walked. I couldn't help but feel that no evil could stand against this alliance. No evil could stand against these wizards. No evil could stand against this family.

_Acnologia, you better be ready._

**A/N:  
Adel: What's that? The final battle is in the next chapter?  
Me: Damn straight it is...heheha.  
Grey: That was a strange sound.  
Natsu: Don't judge her. She's gone crazy out of excitement.  
Erza: I just think she was always crazy.  
Jellal: I agree.  
Me: Shaddup, Jellal. Just kidding...I love you.  
Jellal: :|  
Lucy: *facepalm  
Me: Geehee.  
Gajeel: Hey! That's my catchphrase!  
Me: Big battle in the next chapter! Look forward to it!  
Gajeel: OI!  
Adel: Don't be a crybaby, Gajeel!  
Frosch: Fro thinks so, too!  
**Fight breaks out**  
Me: Sigh...I should be used to this by now. Hey, Fro, run for it! You too, Jax!  
Jax: I'm not a kitten!  
Me: Pfffft  
Jax: *glareglare**

**Look forward to the next chapter! :)**


	28. Chapter 28: Narrator

**(NARRATOR'S POV)**

The sun was setting. A golden haze covered the field, dying the landscape a bright orange and deceiving onlookers into thinking it was glowing. The mountain looked purple in the afternoon light. The smell of the approaching fall drifted in the wind along with the few leaves that had already dropped. The trees rustled. The only other sound was footsteps.

A man stood in the center of the field. He was silent. His dark hair blew in the wind as he stared into the distance, watching the far hill. He knew what was coming. He wasn't afraid. He anticipated their arrival with maleficent ecstasy. He grinned as he thought of crushing them with his own two hands.

He watched as they appeared on the horizon. At first it was only one silhouette, highlighted by the setting sun. The man in the distance stood strong. Flying at his neck was a scarf, imitating the flag that soldiers rally around. Soon, three other silhouettes joined him. They stood beside him valiantly, defying the man in the center of the field who was looking up at them. The silhouettes raised their fists at the same time. Suddenly, people, blotting out the sun, darkened the whole horizon. The single dark man growled. People of all shapes and sizes raised their fists as one.

"For Adel!" someone shouted. "For Adel!" they all chorused. Their battle cry echoed off of the mountainside.

"For our guilds!" Another battle cry.

"And for all of Fiore!" The wizards shouted. At once they surged forward. Acnologia grinned, readying himself. He thought he wouldn't even have to raise a finger to destroy those 'pesky' wizards. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Where is she?" Natsu screamed, barreling towards Acnologia.

"Somewhere you'll never find her!" he replied. Little did Natsu know that Adel was closer than he thought. Acnologia had made sure to mask her scent with his own. Adel, trapped the cave, was close enough to hear the sounds of the battle outside. She heard battle cries and screams of pain. She had no doubt that Acnologia had the upper hand, even with such an incredible force of wizards.

She twisted around in her bindings, desperate to escape, "Damnit!" She writhed around, but couldn't escape. She wouldn't give up, though. She had to help her friends. They'd come for her and she wasn't going to let them down, "Come on, ropes, work with me here! I'm cheering for you!" She didn't have time to question her sanity; she was too busy cheering.

She pulled her face close to the ropes with what strength she had left and bit at the ropes. Her sharp incisors ripped through the twine and she fell to the ground. "Ha!" She rubbed her raw wrists and shakily got to her feet. She quickly walked over to where her bag lay. Acnologia didn't know that when he'd kicked her bag away, he'd practically advertised where her weapon was. She ripped the bag open and pulled out her knife. She ran her fingers along the hilt, tracing the symbol that reminded her of Silinean.

She stood and took a deep, calm breath. She turned and walked towards the mouth of the cave. She had to do something before she finished this. She stepped into the sunlight. She squinted, shielding her eyes from the blinding, vibrant colors. It felt like she'd been in that cave for years, even though he knew it had only been a few days.

She took one hesitant step and peered down the rock face. Below her a magnificent battle was taking place. Even though she knew that pain and suffering were running rampant in the wide field below her, she couldn't help but notice one thing. From where she was, the sound of terror barely drifting to her ears, the battle looked beautiful. Illuminated by the setting sun, all of her friends were fighting for her. Flashes of brilliant light scattered the field below her. Colors from every corner of the rainbow lit up the battlefield. She stood in awe.

She noticed something else. Marring the scene, corrupting it with darkness, were shadows. Not belonging to her friends, but belonging to themselves. She watched in horror as her friends fought dark copycats of themselves.

"Déjà vu!" shouted Erza, her blade clashing with her other self.

"What does that mean?" screamed Milliana, pouncing on her opponent.

"Let's just say I've fought myself before…twice!" Erza replied, looking towards Milliana. Erza's shadow self raised its dark blade. Erza whirled, but she was too late. Suddenly a blinding light flew past Erza, sending her hair flying. Erza's shadow vanished. A man with azure-colored hair stood, smiling at Erza. Adel grinned as Jellal winked at Erza. It also occurred to her that the battlefield wasn't exactly the ideal place to seduce someone, but she let it slide. She wasn't one to talk when she was about to do something so stupid.

What surprised her the most was the Master. He was enormous, just like a giant. He roared as he hurled his huge fists towards his shadow self. They acted at the same time, reacting and throwing blows towards each other in almost perfect synchronization. Adel blinked a few times as she was blinded by a bright light. Laxus was battling his own mirror image, his lightning crackling and flashing in the twilight. The Thunder God Tribe fought nearby, their eyes glowing while they battled.

The Strauss siblings fought side by side, their takeover magic copied by their shadows. Adel watched in wonder as Juvia and Lyon carried out a unison raid, causing sharp shards of ice to fall from the sky, piercing several shadows at once. Adel smiled as Lucy and Leo fought side by side. Another one of her spirits—a giant cow…that Adel didn't bother questioning—fought beside her. "Leo, help Grey!" she shouted. Leo nodded and charged towards Grey, who was down a shirt.

Wizards from every guild lit up the battlefield, but Adel only searched for one. Her eyes scanned the field, seeking out Natsu. Suddenly, she saw him. He must have already defeated his own shadow, because he was slowly wading through the sea of wizards. He was staring at something as he walked, not letting his eyes stray. Adel followed his gaze and gasped. He was walking directly towards Acnologia. They stared at each other. Acnologia grinned and Adel launched down the mountainside. She flew down the rock face, running at full speed, "Natsu!" She screamed to him, but he didn't hear her. She reached the field and sprinted toward where she'd seen Natsu. She was frantic. She knew she was the only one who could stop Acnologia.

"Natsu!" Adel screamed. A few wizards noticed, turning to see her. They cheered as she sprinted past them. She didn't have time to pay attention to them. She had to get to Natsu.

She froze, her hair flying around her face as she locked eyes with Acnologia. He growled when he saw her, "How did you escape?"

She grinned, "Never underestimate a member of Fairy Tail!"

He screamed in outrage. "Adel!" cried Natsu, starting to walk towards her. She smiled widely, relief spreading throughout her. That relief was crushed a few seconds later. A black wall of magic launched towards Natsu, knocking him backwards. Adel screamed. She realized that all of the wizards around her had been sent flying just as Natsu had. She, however, was still standing. She attributed this to her magic's ability to neutralize magical attacks. She zeroed in on Acnologia.

"You think you can defeat me? The King of the Dragons?" he bellowed. Darkness whirled around him, a black tornado surrounding his entire body. He lifted his arms and sent arrows of dark magic flying towards Adel. She braced herself and raised her hands. The air rippled around her and the arrows vanished. Acnologia screamed in outrage, "Fine, then I'll just crush you!" Adel's eyes went wide. She knew what he was going to do.

"Adel, run!" screamed Natsu. Adel didn't hear him, or maybe she had and had just ignored him. She wasn't about to run from this chance. The time had finally come for her revenge. She would finish this no matter what, for herself and for Silinean. She watched in horror as Acnologia began to transform. The dark tornado that was whirling around him started to close in on him, compressing his body. Suddenly, it expanded. She caught glimpses of Acnologia through gaps in the darkness: a scale here, a flash of blue there. The dark barrier of wind towered above her head. She stared up at it defiantly.

She didn't so much as flinch when Acnologia's giant head burst through the darkness. He let out a deafening roar and Adel covered her ears. The dark fog that remained dripped off of him, falling like shadowy waterfalls off of his scaled sides. She took a shaky breath. Seeing him like this terrified her. It reminded her of the past and of how she'd been so weak. She shook off her fear. She was strong now. She could stop him. She _would _stop him. His giant talons plunged into the ground beside Adel and she stumbled backwards, falling onto her back.

Acnologia's head loomed down close to Adel. She stared up at him, her eyes wide. "Adel!" shouted a voice. She looked to her side and saw a strangely muscly man charging towards her. "Ichiya, no!" screamed Erza. He didn't stop though. "FOOL!" bellowed Acnologia. He was his clawed hand and crushed the man easily. Adel screamed. "Ichiya!" screamed Erza. "Don't Erza!" yelled Jellal, holding her back. When Acnologia raised his claw Ichiya just lay there. That was when Adel knew he was gone. She stared helplessly at his unmoving body.

"Sensei!" cried a chorus of voices. Tears streamed down Adel's face as she saw the other men from Blue Pegasus screaming in outrage, being held back by several other wizards. They sobbed and screamed, trying to break free of the grasp of their friends so that they could go to their friend. She turned her head back to Acnologia, unable to stand watching such tragedy. Adel's fear turned to anger.

"Go ahead, _girl! _Cry just as you did all those years ago!" growled Acnologia. Adel stared at him defiantly, "I'm not the same as I was back then." A deep, maniacal laugh echoed in Acnologia's throat. She looked to her right. She caught sight of Natsu. He was staring at her desperately. Adel smiled at him and his eyes went wide. He shook his head. A tear ran down Adel's face. _Sorry, Natsu. I really did love you. _He charged towards her and Acnologia turned towards him. "Adel!" he screamed, tears streaming down his face as he ran towards her.

"Don't look away!" Adel screamed. Acnologia turned back to her. She grinned and reached down to her thigh. _At least I'll have managed to relocate my knife before I die_, she thought, trying to calm her beating heart. She lifted her knife and it glowed brightly in her hand. She raised it and pointed it towards her own chest. "NO!" roared Acnologia, but it was too late. She plunged the knife directly into her heart. She screamed out in pain. Acnologia roared and reared backwards. He writhed as his goliath body impacted with the ground. "Impudent girl!" he screamed, "You would take your own life?"

She smiled and looked up at the sky, her body relaxing, "I would do anything to end you." She closed her eyes, the knife still embedded in her chest.

"Adel, no!" screamed a voice, but she was fading.

"Natsu?" she wheezed.

"Adel, Adel don't leave me. I just got you back!" she heard a voice whimper. She felt wet tears stream down her face, but they weren't her own. She weakly reached up and found Natsu's face with her hands. She smiled and stroked his cheek, "I love you."

Natsu touched his forehead to hers, "I love you, too…so you can't leave me alone. Don't go. I'm not going to let you die!" He howled in rage. She just smiled blissfully, "Goodbye, Natsu." A bright light replaced the darkness that had filled up her vision.

"Adel," said a voice. She turned to see who'd said it. "Adel," the voice repeated. She recognized the voice.

"S-Silinean?" she asked hesitantly. Emerging from the blinding light was her father. She smiled at her, his gentle eyes shining, "Hello, Adel."

She sprinted towards him, wrapping herself around his claws just like she used to when she was a child, "I'm sorry I forgot. I missed you so much. Silinean! I did it!"

"I know, child. I saw everything. I told you I'd watch over you," he said gently, nuzzling her with his nose as she curled up in his claw.

"I'm glad I'm with you again," she said, holding onto him tightly.

"Adel, don't say that. Look," he said. She raised her head as colors shone down on here. Images floated next to them. Adel stared in shock.

She saw herself lying in Natsu's arms. He was sobbing and clinging to her. Tears glistened on his face. He howled and screamed words that she couldn't quite hear. She watched as Lucy shakily walked up to them. She knelt down beside Natsu. Tears were streaming down her face and she cried out. She took Adel's lifeless hand and held it to her chest. She shook as Grey walked up and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Grey's eyes were watery as well as he stared down at Adel's unmoving body. Erza slowly stepped forward. She knelt down on one knee and gently shut Adel's eyes, which were staring endlessly up at the reddish sunset. Erza said something quietly. She tried to hold back her tears, but it was impossible. Jax stepped forward, tears on his own tiny face, and landed on her still chest. He reached forward with one tiny paw and touched her face. He curled up on her chest and shook. Suddenly, he raised his head and flew off. He vanished into the sky. Adel, sitting on Silinean's scaly palm, raised a hand to her mouth. She couldn't stop tears from falling. "I'm so sorry…I had to do it," she whimpered.

Silinean lowered his face to her level and looked at her, "Don't worry, Adel."

"What?" she asked, lowering her hand slightly. She stared powerlessly at the crying faces of her friends. Pain shone on the onlookers' faces as well. Some turned away. Some took hesitant steps forward. Adel caught sight of the Master. He was on his knees. She saw his mouth move and made out the words, "I'm so sorry." Tears streamed down his face as well. His was face contorted in pain.

"It was good seeing you, Adel. Know that you'll always be loved. I'll still watch over you, until the next time we meet," he said. She turned to him and touched his face, "What are you talking about." He just smiled and held her close to him.

"I'm glad I was able to see you. Live a long and happy life. I'll see you again, Adel," he whispered to her. She tensed. She whirled to look at the images. Natsu had reached forward and closed his fist around the knife that was still stuck in her chest. She felt tightness in her chest. She clung to Silinean and nodded, "I understand now. I love you, Silinean."

She watched as Natsu yanked the knife out of her chest. She felt a pull. It was similar to what she'd felt when Acnologia had destroyed Alayah. She was being sucked back to herself. She was ripped from Silinean's silver scales. She watched him sorrowfully as he drifted farther and farther away. At first she was numb, but then feeling began to return to the tips of her fingers. Slowly but surely she came back to herself. She gasped for air, desperate to fill her lungs. Her eyes flickered open and she reached for Natsu.

"Adel?" Natsu's voice was disbelieving. Adel sat up painlessly and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. There was a shocked moment of silence before Natsu crushed her to him. He sobbed even harder now, "You were dead!" His voice cracked and he pulled back just enough to smash his lips against hers. Deafening cheers erupted around them. Adel pulled back and stared into his eyes, "I was dead…"

Natsu gasped. He was staring into a pair of silver eyes. He leaned his chest against her chest and cradled her in his arms, "Don't ever do something like that again." She nodded happily, "I just crossed suicide off of my 'List of Things To Do Before I Die'." He chuckled, "That's not funny."

"Then why did you laugh?" she asked. "Adel!" screamed a voice. It seemed that Lucy had finally snapped out of her shock-coma. She tackled Adel off of Natsu' lap and clung to her. She was still crying, "We thought you'd died!"

"Adel!" cried a voice. A violet streak of light slammed into Adel's chest, knocking the wind out of her. "Jax?" she wheezed. He nodded and curled up in the arch of her neck, clinging to her, "I'm…glad you're not dead."

"Don't try and act tough, I saw you cry," she laughed.

He raised his head, "I didn't cry! You didn't see anything!"

She grinned and kissed him. He didn't protest. "You saw us?" asked Grey, leaning forward. She nodded, "I saw a lot of things."

"Like what?" asked Erza, laughing and pressing her forehead against Adel's. Adel just smiled, "Not telling."

"What? That's not fair!" said a voice, "You come back from the dead and you won't even tell us what happened?" Adel looked up and saw Laxus standing over them. He smirked down at her, "If I told anyone it wouldn't be you, Grumps."

"Ouch," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Natsu, help me up," said Adel. He nodded and lifted her to her feet. She shakily took a step and Natsu had to catch her, "I guess I'm still a little dead."

Natsu grimaced, "Stop trying to be funny."

"Impossible," she answered. She took a few steps and almost tripped. She took a deep breath and walked towards her destination. A somber mood fell over the entire group, the happiness fading away. Adel knelt beside Ichiya. New tears sprung from her eyes, "He died trying the help me."

Erza put a hand on my shoulder, "It's not your fault. It was his choice. He died proudly and valiantly." Adel nodded and raised her hand. A gentle white light emanated from her palm. It shone down on Ichiya and a gentle breeze rustled her hair. She touched Ichiya's body and it started to glow gently. A few people gasped at his injuries began to heal. When the light faded, Ichiya's face was recognizable. He looked peaceful, as if he were just sleeping. Adel stood up, "I can't bring him back to life, but I can at least do this."

Hibiki nodded, tears washing the grime from his face, "Thank you." The three men knelt beside their teacher and bowed. "Thank you for everything, Sensei." A new wind rustled their hair as if to answer their thanks. Adel smiled. Ichiya was watching. She looked up to the sky and nodded. "Thank you for what you did," she breathed. Natsu took her hand and Lucy took the other. Grey took Lucy's and Erza took his. Jellal took Erza's other hand. Soon, every wizard was connected in a tightly knit circle around Ichiya. The wind rustled everyone's torn and bloodstained clothes. Not a single wizard's face remained dry as they all said their goodbyes.

_Our family has lost one member today, but he will never be forgotten._

**A/N: **

**Holy crap. That just happened. ****Let's out gust of wind***** That was difficult to write…but I did it. Thanks for reading…oh, I should mention this. It's not over yet. :) What? Not over? Yeah, it's not over. There are still some loose ends that need to be tied up. **

**Liked the chapter? Leave a review, please! Thanks!**


	29. Chapter 29: Adel

**(ADEL'S POV)**

Natsu had asked me about it many times, but I never told him about seeing Silinean. I'm not sure why, but I didn't want to share that with him...actually, I didn't want to share it with anyone. I sat up, my blankets falling off of me. Natsu was snoring in the chair next to my bed. I honestly felt fine, but everyone had told me that they wanted me to stay in the medical clinic for a while just in case. I'd joked about the fact that I wasn't going to die anytime soon, but no one had laughed. I'd regretted my words immediately. Sometimes I wished I had a filter between my brain and my mouth so that I wouldn't have to experience moments like that. Death was not a light and joking topic right about now…not with everything that happened.

I pulled the sheets off of me and lowered my feet to the floor. Sometimes I wondered if this was all a dream. If I really was dead, and that being here, with Natsu and my family, was my Heaven. I sighed and walked over to the mirror that hung on the wall. I leaned close to it and stared at myself. It was strange, seeing my eyes like this. They'd always been different, but now they were a matching set. I'd changed since I'd died…but I guess that was to be expected.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how I'd survived. I figured Silinean had something to with it…after all, I _had _killed myself with the knife he gave me. I vaguely remember my knife glowing before I…well maybe I had saved myself? I think I must've used my magic somehow. Maybe the knife containing my magic couldn't kill me, couldn't hurt the person who'd empowered it…but I wasn't sure. I liked to think that Silinean had saved me, caught me before I tumbled clumsily into Heaven. Theories swirled around in my head as I thought about it, but I couldn't decide on one.

On top of that, I felt like my magic had changed. Somehow, I didn't feel the buzzing or persistent aching that I had come to live with. I'd never really noticed it before, but I felt strangely light now. Maybe it was freedom that I was feeling for the first time in my life. I wasn't weighed down by a spell linking me to my enemy. I laughed to myself. I could have ended this so long ago by simply killing myself and it would have been over…but then I never would have met Fairy Tail. I wouldn't have fallen in love. I smiled happily and touched the corner of my eye. The darkness was completely gone. There weren't even specks left. I sighed.

"I think I might miss it." I jumped and whirled around, "Jeez, Natsu!" He smiled at me and stood up. He walked over to me and placed his hands on my hips, "I'm serious. I thought your eyes were beautiful." He stroked my cheek and I smiled up at him, placing my hands on his strong chest. I felt his heart beat under my right palm and smirked, "I'm not going to miss it." He shot me a questioning look. "I welcome that change. It's like I've left behind all of the darkness that I was stuck in. I'm glad it's gone."

"Well, it's not like you're any less beautiful now," he said, grinning down at me.

I cocked my head, "Oh yeah?"

He nodded and leaned down to kiss me. Unfortunately, the door slammed open right before our lips touched. He growled and turned to look at who was in the doorway. I grinned, still in his arms, "Hey, Luce…Grey."

"It's time to go," Lucy said. My face fell. Right, there was one last thing I had to do before I was truly free.

"I'll leave you to get ready, Adel," whispered Natsu. He pecked my cheek and pushed Grey out the door. Lucy stepped inside and shut the door in the boys' faces.

"Want me to help you get ready?" she asked. I nodded slowly. She frowned, "Adel, I know that you feel guilty, but you shouldn't. It wasn't your fault."

I smiled weakly, "That doesn't really make me feel better." Lucy nodded, "I get it." She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me. I sunk into her warmth. It was nice to have people there to help you. I wasn't alone anymore. I wouldn't ever be alone again. I took a deep, shaky breath and said, "Alright. Let's get dressed."

Lucy grinned and walked over to the bed beside mine. She picked up the dress that had been neatly ironed and was sitting there, waiting for me to put it on. I sighed and stripped down. Something I'd noticed since the battle was a white mark above my heart. It was exactly where I'd stabbed myself. I ran my finger over it. I smiled. It was the same symbol that was on my knife hilt…the same symbol that was burned into my palms. It was the symbol of Silinean. It was a constant reminder of everything that had happened…not that it was possible for me to forget. I stepped into the black dress and Lucy zipped it up. I dropped my hair and ran a brush through my messy locks.

"Do you want to put on—" she began.

I raised my hand, "No thanks…this is enough." She smiled and took my hand, "For a girl you sure don't take long to get ready."

"I've never been one to like dresses and dolling myself up," I mumbled as we stepped outside the medical clinic.

She grinned, "I have a feeling I know why you decided to wear a dress today, though." I blushed brightly. _Shit, she knows_.

My reason for wearing this damn dress stood in front of me right now. His mouth dropped and he stared at me, "Y-you look…" I placed a finger on his chin and snapped his jaw shut. I grinned contentedly…_just the reaction I wanted. _I kissed him on the cheek and took his hand, "It's rude to stare." He nodded as I pulled him after me. I had to admit it: he looked pretty good in his snappy black suit. I looked back and saw Lucy steal a kiss from Grey.

"Ready?" Natsu asked as we stopped in front of the door. I took a deep breath and looked up at him. I nodded, "I think so?"

He smiled and shoved the door open. Gathered inside of the hall were all of the guilds that had participated in the battle against Acnologia. Everyone was dressed in black, but I had expected that. It was a funeral, after all. I stepped into the light and people stared at me. I released Natsu's hand. I had to show my newfound strength. Out of nowhere I was slammed against the wall. I winced, but I couldn't say I didn't see this coming.

"Gajeel, don't!" cried a voice. I looked past Gajeel's angry face and saw Levy standing behind him, her face worried. I felt tears well up but I blinked them away. Natsu took an immediate step forward, but I raised by hand, "Natsu, it's alright." His eyes shone with understanding and he stepped back. He understood that this had to happen. I looked Gajeel directly in the eyes, "I want you to know that I remember everything that happened, even if it wasn't me who did those things. I get it if you want to take your anger out on me. I won't stop you." He raised his fist and I braced myself for the bite of metal against my skin. It didn't come. He eased off of me, nodding. He shoved his hands in the pocket of his suit. He growled angrily, "If you say something like that I can't punch you."

I sighed out of relief and took a step towards them. Levy walked towards me and, to my shock and awe, hugged me tightly, "I'm glad you're alright, Adel. I was really worried. I'm sorry that I didn't visit you, I just…I just thought that you wouldn't want to see me."

I patted her head and smiled at her, "I should be the one saying sorry."

"No! You don't have to! I get it!"

"Hugging the person that sent you to the medical clinic…sometimes I worry about you…"

She grinned cheerfully, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, "I'm happy."

I patted her head, "You're pretty cute, you know that?"

"Don't call me cute just because I'm small!" she protested, jumping to try and get to my height.

"Hey, that's my line," said a tiny voice. Jax flitted over and landed in my palm.

"Hey there, buddy. Missed you while I was in the med-wing," he said, putting him on my shoulder.

"I missed you, too," he said, nibbling on a lock of my hair.

"Hey, don't eat my hair!" I said to him. He'd become much more attached to me after I 'died'.

"Sorry," he said, dropping the hair. He clung onto my neck and curled up under my ear. I smiled at him.

"Let's go," said Natsu. He put his hand on my lower back as we stepped out of the guildhall. The warm light was hidden behind dark clouds as we walked through the streets. Guild members followed behind us. When we arrived at the cemetery, a soft and calming silence surrounded us.

When it came time for us to say our goodbyes, I walked up to the casket. I ran my hand along the smooth wood and looked up to the cloud-covered sky. "Watch over him, Silinean?" I breathed. A tear ran down my cheek. I caught a glimpse of sunlight peek in between the clouds. I smiled and looked down. I knew Silinean had heard me. He'd told me he would watch me. I took a deep breath and walked back to Natsu's side. He put his arm around me to comfort me and I welcomed it. The service seemed to last forever, and many tears were shed.

I caught sight of the trio that I'd been looking for all afternoon. Standing together under a willow tree were Hibiki, Ren, and Eve. I squeezed Natsu's hand and walked towards them. As soon as they saw me they smiled. "How are you doing?" I asked. Natsu watched me wearily, but he'd sensed that I needed to be alone with them right now.

"We've been better," replied Hibiki. Eve nodded. I couldn't help but notice the bandage the was on his face.

"I-I just…" my voice broke and I looked at my shoes. I didn't want to let them see my tears. Jax tightened his grip around my shoulder. He leapt up and latched onto my face, sufficiently hiding my tears. _Thanks, buddy_.

"Adel, we wanted you to know that no one blames you. We are proud of him for doing what he did. We're not going to lie and say that we won't miss him, but there's nothing you can do to change what's happened…all you can do is look forward," said Hibiki. Jax was still attached to my face and it was getting hard to breath. I yanked him off and held onto him. I kissed his head and he pawed at me.

"I'm sure he would have wanted you to be happy," Eve pointed out. I nodded and thanked them. I kissed them each other the cheek. Their reactions were hilariously unique. Eve wrapped his arms tightly around my neck. I was a few inches taller than him, so he had to stand on his tiptoes. Ren just turned away with a _che_. Hibiki wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him. Before I could react he kissed me full on the mouth. I squeaked and froze up. If you looked up 'surprise' in the dictionary you'd see a picture of my face right then. Suddenly, Hibiki pulled away from me, "Ouch!" An angry, red scratch mark showed up on his cheek.

"Don't harass Adel!" growled Jax. Hibiki raised his hands, "It was a 'thank you' kiss."

Suddenly I felt another set of arms wrap around me. I was involuntarily spun around and yet another kiss was stolen from me. Natsu crushed his lips to mine and left me gasping for air, "What the h—"

"Successfully disinfected," said Natsu. My face probably turned bright red. Hibiki clapped Natsu on the back, "Nice."

Natsu glared at Hibiki, "Don't kiss my girlfriend."

Hibiki grinned, "I told you, it was a 'thank you' kiss." Jax growled adorably. I grinned and took Natsu's hand, "Don't beat him to death…he just lost someone."

Natsu nodded but gave the 'I'll be watching you' gesture to Hibiki, pointing his two front fingers to his eyes and then at Hibiki. Hibiki just grinned wider. He winked at me at then went to mingle with other ladies.

"Player?" I asked.

Natsu nodded, "The biggest." I let him wrap his arms around me and he kissed to top of my head.

"I know this is going to sound pretty bad, but I'm glad you're not in that casket," he whispered to me. I nodded against his chest. I heard his heart beat loudly.

"That doesn't sound _that _bad. I'm glad you're not dead also," I replied, looking up at him. His eyes shimmered and I saw pain in them. I reached up and touched his face, raising an eyebrow. He closed his eyes at my touch.

"I saw you die, Del," he breathed, taking in a deep breath. I arched my neck and kissed him softly. When I pulled away I whispered to him, "I'm not going anywhere."

He nodded and opened his eyes. I smiled up at him and his grip tightened around me, "Jax, close your eyes." Jax grumbled and turned away. Natsu leaned down and kissed me again. This time it was a deep kiss. I took in every aspect of him: his smell, his taste, and his warmth. I memorized them, locking them up safely with all of my other treasured memories. I sighed deeply and smiled against his lips. I was right where I belonged.

**A/N: Sob, sob, sob. It's almost over! :'( One more chapter left to write! Look forward to it! **


	30. Chapter 30: Epilogue

**A/N: Final chapter! It's just so sad! *****She says in Aria's voice***** Well, please enjoy the last chapter. (sobsob) Thanks for sticking with it until the very end! **

**Shout out to my awesome reviewers: XxLunaHeartfiliaXx, Ghostunderasheet, Belinda Valentine Bite, Kirorokat, and twilightamanda! **

**Special shout out to: The Pouting Horse...for being awesome! Check out her stories, they're pretty great…**

**With that I say adieu, enjoy the epilogue! **

**(SILINEAN'S POV)**

"I still don't get why it had to be that son of Igneel," I grumbled. I flicked my tail back and forth anxiously.

"Stop complaining," scolded Ichiya. I looked down at him, daring him to insult me again. He raised his hand in surrender, "I think they're perfect for each other! Their _parfumes _match impeccably." I inched away from him. He was a strange man.

I frowned, "You're right. I should judge the boy simply because Igneel was his father…I just want the best for Adel."

"That's because you're her father," Ichiya said, crossing his arms.

"Silinean, my friend! I haven't seen you in a while!" called I voice. I turned, knowing who'd yelled out to me.

"Jude Heartfilia," I said, straightening my neck up so that I towered above him, "What brings you here?"

"We just wanted to say hello. We heard that Lucy was going on another job with Adel. We figured we would stop by and watch together!" said Layla cheerily.

I frowned, "Sometimes I feel like this place is much too small."

"Don't be like that, old friend," said Jude, walking up and standing beside me, Layla on his arm.

"I haven't known you for that long. The only reason I even talk to you is because your daughter is good friends with mine," I grumbled, curling my tail around myself.

"We understand," Layla said with a kind smile. I felt my walls crumble when I saw that smile.

"I can't say no now, Layla," I said, sighing. She clapped her hands and patted my side.

"What job are they going on today?" asked Ichiya.

I turned to him, "They're going on an S-Class mission. Ever since that son of Igneel became an S-Class wizard they've been doing that more and more often."

"Don't be so overprotective," said Layla, patting my scales.

"It's good to be cautious when considering anything related to Igneel…and that _boy _is related to him directly," I replied.

"I would call myself a love expert, and I think that they are soul mates," interjected Ichiya, "I'll be taking my leave, now." With that he walked off into the light. I had no doubt that he would be here later today. I had a feeling he was going to watch those three men that he was so fond of in Blue Pegasus.

"Just look at them, Silinean," said Jude, looking up at me. I sighed and complied. I watched Adel run through the streets of Magnolia.

_She slowed down beside Lucy and nudged her with an elbow, "You excited for this?"_

_"I'm just hoping that those idiots back there aren't going to destroy anything," moaned Lucy, gesturing to the rest of the team._

_"Do I count as an idiot, too?" asked Grey. Lucy smiled, "Of course!" Adel laughed. It was good to see her laugh so happily. I had hoped against hope that she wouldn't live a life of despair because of what she'd lost._

_The boy, Natsu Dragneel, tackled Adel. "Natsu! Are you trying to kill me?" demanded Adel. She whacked him in the arm._

_"Not funny," he replied. She kissed him on the cheek, "I know…sorry."_ I frowned at the mention of her momentary death. Her knife was one of my teeth, so it contained a fair amount of my magic. When she'd stabbed herself in order to kill Acnologia, my magic must have broken the spell on her that connected her to Acnologia, but not before Acnologia was fatally wounded. Adel's magic, her ability to control the flow of magic in others, also applies to herself. She must have instinctively restored her magical energy, allowing for me to send her back to herself. I suppose I did have a hand in saving her, but it was really her own strength and desire to survive that brought her back.

_"You know you're really overprotective," Adel pointed out, grabbing Natsu's hand._

_"For a good reason," he replied, holding onto her tightly._

Layla looked up at me, "Aren't you glad you got to see her?" I nodded. "We got to see our Lucy…it's nice getting to speak with your children." I smiled to myself, "You're right."

_"Hey, so you should try not to destroy anything on this job, ok?" said Adel, bumping shoulders with Natsu as they walked. Lucy shouted and pushed Grey. He grinned and pushed her back as they walked._

_"Adel, are you trying to be funny?" asked the little blue exceed._

_"Most of the time I am…but not now. Natsu you seriously need to get your flaming fists under control…_"

_"Impossible," Natsu replied._

_Adel smiled, "I had a feeling you were going to say that."_ Her smile was bright and true. I'd never really seen her smile quite like that before.

"Do you see now?" Jude asked.

I sighed deeply and nodded, "I see."

You may ask what I saw. I'll tell you.

_Love_.

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but it **_**was **_**just the epilogue. Thanks for reading Chasing the Darkness! If you liked my story as much as I loved writing it, you may want to check out some of my other stories. It's up to you. Thanks again! Also, please leave a review! Thanks. :)**

**Adel: What? That's it? That's how it ends?**

**Me: Uh…yeah?**

**Jax: Laaaaaame. **

**Me: That's hurtful, Jax. **

**Gajeel: Good. You wrote me wrong. I would have punched her right in the face. **

**Adel: Not cool, man. **

**Erza: I would have liked to see that. **

**Adel: Ouch, Erza…I thought we were closer than that. **

**Jellal: Pffft. **

**Me: *Sidesteps closer to Jellal**

**Jellal: *Sidesteps away from me**

**Lucy: *facepalm**

**Carla: Hey, why didn't I show up in this story?**

**Me: Oh…shit…**

**Carla: Hmph…I'm pretty significant, you know. **

**Happy: It's because you're too beautiful for her to write about! Want a fish?**

**Carla: No! Leave me alone!**

**Jax: Hehe. **

**Me: Thanks for reading everyone! **

**Carla: My…you're handsome. **

**Jax: :|**

**Me: O.O**

**Happy: GAH!**


End file.
